145 whales were found stranded, 30 kilometres on the southern coast in New Zealand. A hiker found these incredible mammals, and while half the whales were pronounced dead at the scene, many were still alive, fighting for their lives.
Unfortunately, the remaining living whales could not be saved, due to their remote location, which leads officials with no choice but to euthanise them
Even though many locals tried to carry the smaller whales to the ocean, there was just no way to re-float them in the water, to ensure them staying alive.
It was an extremely heart-breaking scene to those who made an effort to try and save the whales. With four different strandings, accumulating the 145 whales that died, officials clarify that their New Zealand is a typical country for whales strandings on their shores. However, with approximately 85 cases reported annually, there has never been such a great number of whales stranded, which raises the much-anticipated question as to why this stranding occurred.
The Cause of Stranded Whales
Nobody knows for sure why these whales died, or why close to a hundred whales strand on the beach of New Zealand throughout the year, along with dolphins, which makes up close to 300 cases of stranded marine mammals.
Most of the whales stranded in this case were pilot whales. This whale species has pod members, which are connected through a social bond and are extremely known for mass occurrences.
One reason why it is believed they stranded, is because they follow either the older, injured or ill whales, which leads them to the shore. Some also believe that the pilot whales’ echolocation becomes compromised once they reach shallow water, which misleads them to the shallow waters, where they get stranded.
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