Nine whales survive

Rescuers help the stranded pilot whales at Karikari Beach yesterday. Photo / DoC

Just nine of the 63 whales which were found stranded on a Northland beach on Friday are believed to have survived.

Thirteen whales were re-floated yesterday afternoon, but four of them got back into difficulty and Department of Conservation staff made the tough decision to euthanise them.

The other nine were late this morning believed to have remained at sea, Kim Mulcaster of Project Jonah said.

"We haven't heard any reports that they have tried to re-strand so we're hopeful," she told NZPA.

"It's been tough but we're glad nine have survived."

Carolyn Smith, of the Department of Conservation (DOC), said that of the 13 re-floated, one re-beached itself, another was trying to strand itself on rocks and the remaining two were swimming upside down, and in circles.

Ms Smith said the decision was made to euthanise those four "as there was concern that if these whales remained in the water, they would attract the others back to shore".

Local Ngati Kahu leaders and DOC staff were this morning due to bury the whales at a site near where the whales were originally stranded at Karikari Beach near Kaitaia.

More than 100 people helped to keep the survivors alive yesterday, but due to rough sea conditions it was too dangerous for volunteers to release the whales at Karikari.

They were instead trucked to sheltered Matai Bay about 1km away.

"It went really smoothly," said DoC Kaitaia community relations programme manager Carolyn Smith.

Rescuers took turns to stay with the whales once they had been transported, as the pod's survivors needed to be released as a group.

"There's no point in releasing them individually because they'll turn around and come back," said Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster.

Late yesterday afternoon, rescuers prepared to take the pod's matriarch - a lactating female - out to sea by boat.

Once she was far enough out, the groups of people holding the remaining whales released them to follow the leader.

As darkness fell, seven of the whales were looking strong, but four were struggling.

DoC expected boats to follow the whales at least until dark.