Wellington-Sana
New Zealand authorities announced today the death of 15 flying whales, while dozens of this species are still stranding near a narrow sandy strip at the northern tip of South Island, despite efforts to return them to the sea.
The whales managed, after mass stranding at the sandy Verwel Spit, to emerge at high tide yesterday evening, but were found on the remote beach again this morning, and about 28 of them remained alive while 15 others died.
Reuters quoted a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Department as saying in a statement ... that some whales have started to swim far away, but others are still hovering not far from the shore.
At this stage, it is not clear whether the whales at sea off the sandy tongue will wing again or swim.
Dozens of rescue workers in the waters are trying to encourage the whales to swim, among them volunteers from the environmental organization Project Jona specializing in protecting marine mammals, researchers, government officials and members of the population.
It is noteworthy that mass whale strandings are common in New Zealand and the reasons for their occurrence remain a mystery that has baffled marine biologists for years.