Hundreds of Whales Die in an Enormous Stranding in New Zealand

(image via flickr)

The Department of Conservation estimated around 70 percent of the whales had already died when they were discovered this morning. The mass stranding occurred at Farewell Spit, an isolated coast on the South Island of New Zealand.

The stranding is easily the largest in the last 30 years. According to Fairfax Media, this is the third largest stranding on record - after 1000 whales on the Chatham Islands in 1918 and 450 in Auckland in 1985.

Volunteers are now working to try and keep the survivors alive and refloat them on the high tide.

But speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Department of Conservation Golden Bay operations manager Andrew Lamason said the rescuers were facing major setbacks.  The survivors that had been refloated were now swimming the wrong direction and headed back into the bay, he said.

Rescuers had fingers crossed they would still turn around on the high tide but were preparing for the worst.

Lamason said they would not have another chance to refloat the whales until tomorrow's high tide as it was too dangerous to try a rescue at night.

While The Department of Conservation has called for volunteers to assist with the refloating, they are urging people to come self-sufficient and prepared, with their own wetsuits, food and supplies.