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FRANTIC WHALE RESCUE

Hundreds of volunteers form a human chain to rescue 100 whales beached in New Zealand where 300 died this week

100 volunteers supported by three boats manage to turn whales away from shore by blocking their path

A DESPERATE mercy mission has been underway to save more than 100 whales amid New Zealand's the worst stranding.

Neck deep, rescuers formed a human chain last night by linking arms to help scores of marooned pilot whales get back to the sea.

A human chain stops pilot whales from returning to shore during the mass stranding at Farewell Spit
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A human chain stops pilot whales from returning to shore during the mass stranding at Farewell SpitCredit: Getty Images
Volunteers try to help pilot whales back to sea in a race against time
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Volunteers try to help pilot whales back to sea in a race against timeCredit: Reuters
A pilot whale mother and calf lie in shallow waters
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A pilot whale mother and calf lie in shallow watersCredit: Getty Images
A sad scene of hundreds of whales, many dead, that collectively went off course and beached themselves
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A sad scene of hundreds of whales, many dead, that collectively went off course and beached themselvesCredit: Reuters
Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of New Zealand's largest recorded mass strandings
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Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of New Zealand's largest recorded mass strandingsCredit: Reuters
A volunteer pours seawater on the mammal to stop it drying out
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A volunteer pours seawater on the mammal to stop it drying outCredit: Reuters

Already 300 have perished this week after becoming stuck on a beach in Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, New Zealand.

The tragedy is one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings.

Hundreds of volunteers flocked to Golden Bay, at the northwest tip of South Island, after dawn broke and surviving whales were refloated at high tide by yesterday lunchtime.

But 90 quickly became stranded once again as the tide ebbed. About 50 more lingered in shallow waters near their beleaguered pod.

A conservation department worker spotted the whales washed ashore last night.

But the government agency decided against a night rescue effort because of the risk of accidents.

Rescuers took turns pouring water over the beached whales to try and keep them cool, while school children sang to soothe the distressed beasts.

Hundreds were already dead as volunteers raced to refloat the survivors
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Hundreds were already dead as volunteers raced to refloat the survivorsCredit: Getty Images
Volunteers attend to some of the scores of stranded pilot whales still alive
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Volunteers attend to some of the scores of stranded pilot whales still aliveCredit: Reuters

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A desperate attempt to save a whale in a race against the clock before the tide can help them back into the ocean
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A desperate attempt to save a whale in a race against the clock before the tide can help them back into the oceanCredit: Reuters

A ferry service offered free transport to qualified marine medics, while broadcast media carried a livestream of the rescue attempt.

Even for a country with the most whale strandings in the world, the scale of the latest event "was a shock," said Darren Grover manager of marine environmental organisation Project Jonah.

It was New Zealand's largest known whale stranding since 1985, when 450 were stranded in Auckland, and the third largest on record.

A dead baby whale, left, who sadly was out of the water for too long
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A dead baby whale, left, who sadly was out of the water for too longCredit: Reuters
A whale lies on a sandbank marked with an 'X' to indicate it has died
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A whale lies on a sandbank marked with an 'X' to indicate it has diedCredit: Reuters

The precise cause of the stranding was not known, though beached whales are not an uncommon sight at Golden Bay.

Its shallow muddy waters confuse the marine mammals' sonar.

This is thought to leave them vulnerable to stranding by an ebb tide, according to Project Jonah.

STRANDED: Why whales end up high and dry

PILOT whales grow up to 20 feet long and are the most common species of whale in New Zealand waters.

But tragically they are renowned for tragically swimming back ashore after being refloated in an apparent attempt to rejoin their pod.

Each time a whale survives a stranding they become steadily weaker.

The biggest stranding occurred when 1,000 whales beached at the remote Chatham Islands in 1918, followed by 450 that washed ashore in Auckland in 1985.

Reports of whales beaching themselves have been recorded throughout history.

But scientists believe whale strandings are becoming more common.

Marine biologists think the reason for this is the increases in man-made materials and chemicals is causing greater pollution in the ocean.

Sonar from the planet’s 51,000 strong merchant ship fleet may be interfering whales’ natural navigation, causing them to beach accidentally.


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