Farewell Spit, New Zealand Whale Stranding Leaves Many Dead (VIDEO)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A mass-stranding of whales on a New Zealand beach has left 36 of the creatures dead and threatens 40 more.

Department of Conservation area manager John Mason said 99 pilot whales stranded themselves Monday on Farewell Spit on the South Island. By Tuesday, 36 whales had died and another 40 remained stranded and were still in danger.

Mason said conservation staff and volunteers had successfully refloated 17 whales, which had swum out to deeper water. Another six whales remained unaccounted for.

The 40 beached whales were briefly swimming in shallow water early Tuesday afternoon but became stranded again by the evening as the tide went out. Mason said volunteers would try to keep the whales cool and wet until dark. He said after that, all they could hope for was that the whales would swim away on the next high tide during the night.

Pilot whales grow to about 20 feet (6 meters) and regularly strand themselves in large numbers during the New Zealand summer months.

Experts describe Farewell Spit as a whale trap due to the way its shallow waters seem to confuse whales and diminish their ability to navigate.

Comments

[StrandedNoMore]

09:23 AM on 01/25/2012

Amazingly we still have no idea why it happens. Stranding is a very complex phenomenon that can be caused not by just one but by many factors working together and creating some sort of "perfect storm". What is not happening however is systematic, scientific investigation why whales and dolphins strand alive. Keep in mind that dead animals that wash ashore represent a completely different case. The ones that strand alive is the biggest mystery of them all.

[Tajeetah]

02:08 AM on 01/26/2012

SNM, we do have an idea why it happens. As far as I know, the culprit is the Earth's magnetic grid that has shifted. Whales, like birds navigate using the magnetic grid (ley lines). They have an inner map of the grid, that is now outdated. Imagine that you are traveling somewhere using an old map that is no longer accurate, you will sure have a hard time getting to your destination. The whales are following their inner map that used to work before, but now when they head for open water they find themselves on a beach instead. The rescuers help them back into the water, and they come back, because their instincts keep telling them that they are heading the right way.
The same thing happens to large flocks of birds. They also use their inner map, but the magnetic grid is no longer where it used to be, and they keep flying all confused until they all drop from exhaustion. This is very sad, and heartbreaking, and unfortunately it will continue until the new calves/birds will be born with the new, correct inner map. Until then, all we can do is help them whenever we can.

[Norge]

04:09 PM on 01/24/2012

I believe the whales know more about what they are doing than we so wanting to be helpfull humans.
I seriously doubt whales become confused in their navigation which would endanger a large group of them. Really, how arrogant can we all knowing humans be. They are only a couple million years ahead of us as residents of planet earth.

[stella soprano]

01:58 PM on 01/24/2012

a sad natural occurance. let nature handle nature. we don't understand the big picture

[patianneb]

05:15 PM on 01/24/2012

...and yet we keep messing with it (nature) without heed or care .....

[shutterbabe]

05:19 PM on 01/24/2012

Your statement is sadly true, patianneb.

[KarlaElisa]

01:44 PM on 01/24/2012

just watched a nat geo program that spoke to the pollutants in the waters affecting the ability of marine life to navigate at the top of their game. since this area 'confuses' the whales, i'd be interested to know if this # of whales winding up beached is normal or typical or if it's increasing with time.

[campcranston]

12:28 PM on 01/24/2012

I mean whales. Not elephants. yeesh.

[nevaehs mama]

06:46 PM on 01/24/2012

that was funny :) i enjoyed that

[campcranston]

12:28 PM on 01/24/2012

I've got a wicked good idea. Take the meat and blubber from the elephants, give it to those greedy japanese fisherman that want to kill perfectly healthy ones.