Refloated whale restranded, dies in Golden Bay
A sei whale that was successfully refloated in Golden Bay on Monday has died after being found restranded.
A Department of Conservation spokesperson said the whale was found again at the base of Farewell Spit yesterday morning.
It was cared for by DOC rangers, who kept it wet and cool and were hoping to refloat it again on the afternoon’s rising tide, but the whale died yesterday morning.
DOC Golden Bay operations manager Dave Winterburn said that after the 15-metre sei whale was found on Monday, it was cared for by Manawhenua ki Mohua iwi members, DOC rangers and Project Jonah marine mammal medics until it could be refloated on the rising tide early on Monday afternoon.
After being refloated, the whale was swimming in the sea but did not move off, and it was being monitored.
DOC first received a report of a stranded whale on Farewell Spit on Saturday but was unable to locate the whale because of the tide coming in.
It then received a report of a spouting whale off the spit on Sunday.
DOC rangers found a smaller, 8.7m sei whale stranded on the sandflats on the spit. The animal died soon after they arrived.
Another whale was seen swimming offshore and was observed until dark.
It is thought that the smaller whale may have been the calf of the larger whale.