The string of whale beaches in New Zealand islands continues: In recent days, nearly 480 pilot whales have died after being stranded on the Chatham Islands, a group of islands in the South Pacific, about 800 kilometers off New Zealand’s east coast. This was announced by the country’s conservation authority on Wednesday.
About 240 pilot whales died on Chatham Island on Saturday. On Monday, another 240 of the marine mammals got lost on Pitt Island, which is about 25 miles away and belongs to the Chatham Islands. Some whales were dead when they arrived, and the rest should have been euthanized to minimize suffering, said Dave Lundquist, a consultant with the conservation organization.
In the region, rescuers would not actively return the marine mammals to the water “because of the risk of shark attacks on humans and the whales themselves, so euthanasia was the most humane solution.” Pitt Island is New Zealand’s most remote inhabited island, with limited communications and difficult logistics, the agency said.
According to the whale conservation organization Project Jonah, with a total of nearly 480 dead whales, these were major strandings in the Pacific Ocean within a few days. “At Farewell Spit (on the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island) there are large mass strandings, but on average there are 70 to 80 whales.” Rescuers would try to save the animals if possible.
In New Zealand it happens again and again that whales get lost on beaches. Such events are also not uncommon in the Chatham Islands. In 1918, more than 1000 animals are said to have died in a single stranding.
Pilot whales strand more often than other species
Because they migrate in very large groups, pilot whales strand more often than other species of sea giants, the AAP news agency recently quoted marine biologist Olaf Meynecke of Griffith University in Queensland. When one whale runs aground, the others usually follow. “They don’t do it because they’re stupid, but because of their emotional connection to the other animals.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
