DOC, Project Jonah medics refloat surviving whales after stranding

Friday, 18 March 2022

Department of Conservation ranger Ellie Kerrisk with one of the pilot whales that stranded on Farewell Spit.

Department of Conservation rangers and Project Jonah medics on Friday successfully refloated five pilot whales that survived a mass stranding on Farewell Spit.

DOC Tākaka operations manager Dave Winterburn said the whales, which were stranded 4-5 kilometres down Farewell Spit, were refloated with the 11am high tide.

Unfortunately, a newly stranded pilot whale was then found several kilometres away at Triangle Flat, at the base of Farewell Spit.

“It is not clear whether this is one of the five that were refloated,” Winterburn said. “There is also a deceased pilot whale at this site.”

Most of the stranded pilot whales have died.

* Human chain of 150 volunteers guide 40 stranded pilot whales back to sea

In February last year volunteers, conservation staff and members of Project Jonah helped refloat 38 of 49 pilot whales that stranded at Farewell Spit.

* Dead whale towed to Farewell Spit tidal flats to decompose

Dead long-finned pilot whales line the beach at Farewell Spit in February last year. Conservation staff and volunteers were able to refloat 38 of the 49 stranded whales.

Rangers rushed to Farewell Spit on Thursday evening after DOC received a report of the stranding about 6pm.

Volunteers work to keep stranded whales alive after a stranding at Farewell Spit in February 2021. (Video published February 2021)

“They counted a total of 36 whales stranded, of which seven were alive when rangers left the site,” Winterburn said, pointing out that an incoming tide and night conditions meant they were unable to remain with the whales overnight.

When rangers arrived back at the site early Friday, they found 34 whales, of which five were alive.

“It is thought there were [fewer] whales found there on Friday morning because two carcasses may have been lifted by the high tide on Thursday night and taken out to sea.”

An aerial survey of the 28km length of Farewell Spit did not find any additional stranded whales.

“We are not seeking any assistance from the public as we have enough DOC rangers and Project Jonah medics on site to manage the situation,” Winterburn said.

To ensure the dead whales were treated appropriately, DOC was working with Manawhenua ki Mohua, an iwi-mandated organisation representing Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa in Golden Bay.

While it was an unfortunate event, whale strandings were a natural phenomenon, Winterburn said.

The cause was not known, but Golden Bay was a high stranding area with Farewell Spit hooking around the northern entrance into the bay and forming extensive, many kilometres wide, intertidal sand flats, he said.

Project Jonah has a specific page of instructions for strandings in Golden Bay due to the high frequency of events in the area.

Last February, more than 40 long-finned pilot whales were stranded, conservation staff and volunteers were able to refloat 38 of the 49 whales and guide them back to sea.