Stranded pilot whales in NZ die

AUCKLAND: More than a dozen whales had died in New Zealand after becoming stranded on the country’s North Island, the Department of Conservation said yesterday.

Rescuers and volunteers worked all day on Saturday to refloat about 25 of the animals, part of a pod of about 40 to 50 pilot whales who got stranded earlier that day on a beach in 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.

“Although the high tide at about 9pm had allowed the whales to be refloated, members of the pod restranded this ( yesterday) morning,” the department said on Facebook.

“Sadly, about dozen have died after restranding.”