Battle to save remaining whales after refloating fails

Volunteers and DoC workers draped wet sheets on the whales stranded near Farewell Spit before darkness forced helpers from the water. Picture / Bob Boreham (Farewell Spit tours)

Conservation workers and volunteers are today battling to save the remaining 116 after a large pod beached themselves near Farewell Spit yesterday.

Despite rescue efforts, seven of the estimated 123 pilot whales died overnight.

Some of the surviving whales had been expected to refloat themselves early today, but the Department of Conservation (DOC) said it appeared none of them had made it out to sea.

About 100 local people spent the night trying to keep the whales as comfortable as possible on the beach at Puponga, on the west side of Golden Bay.

Whales are being covered with wet sheets and blankets and water poured over them to try and keep them cool.

The next opportunity to refloat the whales will be at high tide this afternoon at 2pm.

Yesterday Golden Bay area manager John Mason said workers had been tracking the pod of whales all morning after seeing them looking confused and milling around near the shore.

"It wasn't a great surprise to us when they began to strand when the tide turned and began to go out."

The first whale had stranded about 2pm and the rest of the pod of 4-5m whales had progressively stranded.

"We've also got some pumps down there so we're going set up some sprinkler systems," Mr Mason said.

There had been other mass strandings in the area, the last in 1998 when about the same number of whales had beached.

With the start of the holiday season, the population in the usually quiet area had swelled, meaning more volunteers were available.

- NZPA