Whales restranding after massive rescue effort

Rescuers who helped save more than 100 whales stranded along Puponga Beach on the South Island's Farewell Spit this evening faced the heartbreak of seeing 10 of the whales in trouble again just a kilometre down the beach.

About 15 of the estimated 123 pilot whales that stranded from about midday yesterday died before the pod was shepherded out to sea by Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and hundreds of volunteers on the second high tide about 2pm today.

But just three hours later, after many of the volunteers had gone home, about 10 of the whales were back in shallow water about 1km south along the beach.

DOC Golden Bay spokeswoman Trish Grant said efforts were focused on trying to prevent another mass stranding and on getting the 10 whales already in trouble back to sea.

"They're in shallow water at the moment and we're hoping we can turn them around before they're completely stranded.

"They're still floating but the tide's going out."

Other whales were also milling around close by and boats and volunteers were in the water trying to keep them away from shore.

Ms Grant said the rescuers were hugely disappointed.

"We've been quite hopeful that they were all going to go safely out to sea and we didn't have to worry about them again.

"It is a bit gutting really."

Ms Grant said they might yet need to call for more volunteers.

She said historically only about 60 per cent of stranded whales survived before being refloated so for only 15 of the 123 whales to die so far was a remarkable effort.

As with last night, the rescuers would do what they could before dark if the whales could not be shepherded out to sea, Ms Grant said.

But if they did completely strand, once it was dark, rescuers would have to leave the beach as it would be too dangerous.

Another high tide would arrive in the early hours of the morning and the whales may be able to refloat on their own.

- NZPA