Whale and calf die in Marlborough

A pygmy sperm whale and its calf have died in Marlborough.

The mother whale, measuring 2.85m, was found dead on the beach about 400 metres north of the Wairau Diversion yesterday, and its calf was rolled back into the tide by onlookers.

However, soon after going back into the water, the calf swam into the diversion.

Department of Conservation (DOC) workers spent yesterday afternoon and this morning looking for the calf in the river and around the diversion, but were contacted about 1pm by embankment workers who had found its body in the lower area of the diversion.

DOC south Marlborough area manager Dave Hayes said staff were recovering the calf's body this afternoon.

"Then, subject to iwi agreeing, we'll wrap that up and send it to the researcher in Auckland where we sent the other one yesterday," Mr Hayes said.

"They're particularly interested in what these animals are feeding on, any information really because there's not a lot recorded on them."

It was the first time the whale species had been found stranded on the Marlborough coastline.

- NZPA