More than 100 people joined efforts to return the animals to the ocean. Four whales ended up not resisting.
More than 30 pilot whales that stranded on a New Zealand beach on Sunday were safely returned to the ocean after around 100 residents joined biologists from the country's Department of Conservation in working to save them.
According to the Associated Press (AP), everything happened on Ruakãkã Beach, near the city of Whangãrei, in northern New Zealand. Despite efforts to save all the animals, four ended up not resisting and died.
This Monday, the team of biologists remains on site to see if the animals do not run aground again.
To the AP, the person responsible for the working group thanked the population “for the genuine care and compassion they showed towards these magnificent animals”.
“This community response demonstrates the deep connection we share with the marine environment,” added Joel Lauterbach.
Also this Monday there will be a Maori ceremony in honor of the three adult whales and the calf that died in the stranding. Explains to AP that the indigenous people of New Zealand consider whales a “taonga”, that is, “sacred treasure”.
New Zealand is a hotspot for whale strandings, particularly pilot whales. Since 1840, 5,000 whale strandings have been recorded in the country. The largest was in 1918, of about a thousand.
The reason for this happening is unclear, but many believe that New Zealand's orography is a determining factor.
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