Fifteen whales still die off New Zealand coast | Abroad

A group of 49 pilot whales, a species of whale, were found on Monday about 90 kilometers north of the tourist town of Nelson. A tour operator sounded the alarm, and then volunteers tried to keep the animals damp and cool. Eventually, it was possible to move most of the pilot whales to deeper waters. The rescued animals swam again in the evening about eighty meters from the coast, reports Radio New Zealand.

But Tuesday morning, the animals were found on the same beach. 28 pilot whales are still alive, at least fifteen are dead. Several whales were also killed on Monday.

Deeper water

Some of the pilot whales are now trying to swim to deeper water again, but some are still hanging out near the coast. Rescuers have been deployed to help the animals.

Pilot whales wash ashore more often at Farewell Spit, a kind of hook made of sand that juts out into the sea. This has happened at least ten times in the past fifteen years. The previous major incident took place in 2017, when around 700 of these animals ran aground. About 250 pilot whales did not survive.