Couple ‘moved’ at sight of dead whales
A couple who found stranded and dead sperm whales at a South Taranaki beach couldn’t believe what they saw.
Twelve sperm whales have now been found dead at Kaupokonui Beach since Thursday morning.
Laurence Mosen manages the Kaupokonui Beach Camp with his wife Sue Mosen. He was staggered by the sight of the whales while walking the couple’s elderly dog.
“Bit of a shock, actually . . . never even seen one before and to see something like that.
“The first one I saw, I didn’t know what the hell it was and then I saw its tail moving. It was just the surf flipping its tail around. It was dead, and so were the rest.”
He went back to the camp to tell his wife and call the Department of Conservation.
Sue Mosen said: “That is a very moving sight when you see a big thing like that up close.”
Three of the whales were being prepared for burial by local hapu Ngati Tu and department rangers.
Laurence Mosen said DoC staff were taking the jaws off some of the whales before burial.
The two whales closest to the camp were being buried first.
“Then there’s three further up the beach, they’re going up to bury those ones. The rest have to let nature take its course . . . can’t get the diggers to them.”
The Mosens said there was an intense smell from the whales.
Sue Mosen said members of the public had tried to steal pieces from the whales: “That’s why we’ve got high security here now. There’s a security company here . . . we’ve got Maori wardens here . . . not just one or two, there’s lots.”
Doc said samples were taken to learn more about what had happened to the whales.
It was hoped at least three would be buried yesterday.