Dozen whales die in beach stranding

More than a dozen whales have died in New Zealand after becoming stranded on the country’s North Island, the Department of Conservation said on Sunday. Rescuers and volunteers worked all day Saturday to refloat about 25 of the animals, part of a pod of about 40 to 50 pilot whales that became stranded earlier that day on a beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. Five dead pilot whales were discovered late on Saturday night at a site thought to be the original stranding location, the department said. Most of the stranded whales rejoined the pod on Sunday morning and were led out to deep water.