29 stranded whales die in remote New Zealand bay
Xinhua, November 6, 2015 Adjust font size:
Twenty-nine pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on a remote beach on New Zealand's southern Stewart Island, conservation officials said Friday.
The pod of dead and dying whales were discovered late Tuesday at Doughboy Bay, on the west of Stewart Island, by two people hiking through the area, according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).
It was two days before the hikers could raise the alarm and two DOC staff immediately flew to Doughboy Bay to assess the situation.
"Eight of the whales were still alive when we arrived," Stewart Island DOC ranger Phred Dobbins said in a statement.
"However, refloating them was not an option given the length of time they had been stranded in hot, dry conditions. With the tide well out, we saw little hope of keeping the animals alive until enough rescuers could be flown in to assist," he said.
The DOC staff decided to euthanize the eight whales to end their prolonged suffering.
The whales would be left to decompose naturally on the beach, due to the remoteness of the site. Endit