Volunteers try to keep the whales wet and upright. Photo / Neroli Nolan
Volunteers try to keep the whales wet and upright. Photo / Neroli Nolan
Only 11 of 32 whales that stranded on the West Coast are still alive.
The pilot whales stranded at the mouth of the Okuru River, south of Haast yesterday afternoon.
A Department of Conservation spokeswoman said it looked like the whales had been there about 12 hours when staff arrived.
"DoC staff, Makaawhio Iwi members and local people cared for whales but some weren't able to be reached.
"A refloat of the whales wasn't possible because of dangerous sea conditions, with a high swell, and because the tide was receding. It would have been too dangerous to carry out a refloat of the whales in darkness in the overnight high tide."
Pilot whales often strand in large numbers,DoC's website said.
"There are recordings of individual strandings all over New Zealand, and there are a few mass stranding 'hotspots' at Golden Bay, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands. The biggest recorded pilot whale stranding was an estimated 1000 whales at the Chatham Islands in 1918."
Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said the tough conditions could have played a part in today's whale stranding.
"There are various factors why this pod came close to shore, we won't know specifically. They're mostly an open ocean species. When they come close to shore they can get caught out by tides, currents and fleeing from predators like orca.
"Or it could be one whale that is sick or injured and the others as a family pod followed them in with their herding instinct. It's what we've seen in the past.
"It's sad and it's quite frustrating knowing it's occurring and not being able to be there instantly. It's in quite a remote part of the world."
Long-finned pilot whales roam the cold temperate waters of the Southern Ocean. Each pod numbers 20-100 whales, though they can congregate in much larger numbers.
The DoC spokeswoman said staff, iwi and locals were returning to the area this morning to look for the whales that may have moved in the overnight high tide and to assess the situation.
Workers attempt to rescue 32 pilot whales that were stranded yesterday. Photo / Supplied
DoC was waiting for an update from staff who have gone to the beach this morning.
Project Jonah volunteers have been helping rescue the whales. People in hi-vis clothing were pouring water over the creatures in an effort to keep them alive until the next high tide.
Local and photographer Neroli Nolan was at the sandbar this morning.
"There are still some whales alive and they [volunteers] are doing their best to keep them alive for high tide at 2pm.
"It's devastating. It's so sad. They're very special."
Haast local Fay Eggeling said her husband was helping with a huge group of volunteers.
"It's certainly not good because it's taken out the pod. Then again is it just nature? I don't know."
In 2012 a carcass of the rare True's beaked whale was found on Haast beach. It was the first recorded in New Zealand.
The skeleton, including a foetus, went to Te Papa in Wellington, so it could be available to scientists.
Grover said Project Jonah was planning to train West Coast residents about whale strandings later in the year. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.
