Hundreds of pilot whales die after mass stranding in the Chatham Islands
Saturday, 8 October 2022
About 215 pilot whales have died after becoming stranded on a beach in the remote Chatham Islands.
On Saturday, Department of Conservation a DOC spokesperson said they had received a report of about 250 whales beached in the northwest corner of Chatham Island (Rēkohu/Wharekauri) – 840km east of mainland New Zealand.
Due to the conditions on the island surviving whales had to be euthanised, they said.
“We do not actively refloat whales on the Chatham Islands due to the risk of shark attack to both humans and the whales themselves.”
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“Surviving whales were euthanised by the trained team to prevent further suffering. Iwi and imi were present to support.”
The whales would be left to decompose naturally.
Marine mammal rescue charity Project Jonah posted on Facebook that about 215 whales were stranded, but the area wasn’t suitable for refloating.
“The Chatham Islands is a challenging spot for stranding response, known for great white sharks, remote beaches, and a resident population of less than 800 people,” the Facebook post said,
“These mass strandings are distressing events, and while we always hope for surviving whales are able to be refloated, this wasn't an option here.”
DOC said such an event was not uncommon on the Chatham Islands – it is the site of the world’s largest recorded stranding event, an estimated 1000 pilot whales which stranded in 1918.
In 2018, 51 pilot whales died after becoming stranded at Hanson Bay. About 30 more were able to refloat themselves.
Just a year earlier, around 600 pilot whales stranded on Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island.
DOC and an army of volunteers – including many from Project Jonah – were able to refloat about 400 of them.