February 25, 2021

Anna Murray 

On the morning of February 22, the Department of Conservation was first alerted to the mass stranding of 49 whales at the beach of Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, New Zealand. More than 65 volunteers, rangers of the Department of Conservation, and Project Jonah experts launched the rescue mission immediately. However, a spokesperson reported 9 of the original 49 mammals had been found dead on the scene.

Volunteers aboard boats kept spotting and followed the whales until it was dark. Then volunteers would stay overnight on the beach to monitor if those whales might be stranded again in the early morning,

According to statements reported by the Department of Conservation, about 40 whales were pushed out to sea on the same day's evening, but they swam back ashore by the next day. Then a team of 50 volunteers pushed 28 whales back into the sea for a second time. So far, those 28 pilot whales are swimming close to shore at Farewell Spit.

Farewell Spit has been a mysterious site where its beach is frequently known for whale stranding. In the past 15 years, there have been 10 cases of whale stranding in the past 15 years. The most recent tragedy occurred in February 2017 while there were more than 700 mammals stranded, resulting in 250 deaths. Some scientists suspect shallow seabed in the Golden Bay may interfere with the pilot whales' sonar navigation systems, resulting in their mass stranding through these years.

Photo:Webshot.