A vet pathologist is trying to figure out what led to the death of eight sperm whales at a South Taranaki beach this week.
The whales were found stranded early on Thursday morning by a member of the public at Kaupokonui Beach.
A Department of Conservation spokesman, Des Williams, said rangers reported the whales dead about midday on Thursday.
"Together with local hapū/iwi Ngati Tu the eight whales were confirmed dead and the site was blessed," he said.
"The species was later confirmed as sperm whales, for which strandings in numbers on New Zealand beaches is relatively rare."