People are being warned to stay off a beach where the carcasses of hundreds of whales are at risk of exploding.
The Department of Conservation said authorities were working on arrangements to dispose of the dead whales at Farewell Spit.
DoC spokesman Herb Christophers told the Herald the area was being cordoned off because the potential danger to members of the public.
Christophers said because the weather had been relatively warm, the decomposition process was happening at a faster rate and therefore lead to exploding carcasses.
The warning follows good news today, where a number of whales were successfully refloated - with the help of authorities and members of the public - after they beached themselves this morning.
