No whales believed to have survived mass stranding at Farewell Spit
Saturday, 19 March 2022
No whales are believed to have survived the mass stranding at Farewell Spit.
Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said two pilot whales were found deceased along Farewell Spit this morning.
These were believed to be the two whales that were refloated yesterday, Grover said. He said, of the five that were found alive and refloated, three were later euthanised by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
It was believed none of the five whales that were refloated on Friday survived.
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A DOC spokeswoman said rangers did an early morning sweep at low tide this morning, and found two deceased whales around 1.5km apart.
She said it was not clear if these two whales were from the group that were refloated yesterday.
Of the five whales refloated yesterday, two were euthanised. An additional whale was found and was euthanised. It was unknown if this was one of the five refloated whales.
DOC Tākaka operations manager Dave Winterburn said, when a whale was euthanised, it was for the welfare of the animal, as it was in poor condition and was not going to survive.
“Decisions to euthanise stranded whales are not taken lightly and euthanasia is carried out when it is the humane course of action.”
Grover said following their hard work all through yesterday, members of the Project Jonah team would be very sore this morning.
The two whales found this morning would be moved up to the reserve at the top of Farewell Spit and anchored in the inter-tidal zone.
Winterburn said DOC received a report of the stranding at about 6pm on Thursday night.
Rangers were sent to the site, but an incoming tide and night conditions meant they were unable to remain there overnight. A total of 36 whales stranded, of which seven were alive when rangers left the site.
On Friday morning 34 whales were found at the site, of which five were alive.
Department of Conservation rangers and Project Jonah medics successfully refloated five pilot whales with the 11am high tide on Friday.
Unfortunately, a newly stranded pilot whale was then found several kilometres away at Triangle Flat, at the base of Farewell Spit. It was later euthanised.
“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.”
One of the five refloated pilot whales was also found to have restranded later the same day.
DOC was working with Manawhenua Ki Mohua to ensure the deceased whales were treated appropriately.