DOZENS OF PILOT WHALES DIE AT NOTORIOUS NEW ZEALAND BEACH

At least 31 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding at a New Zealand beach known to be a notorious spot for whale deaths.

Wildlife officials said the pod was first spotted yesterday, beached across several kilometers of Farwell Spit on the South Island and
rescuers today managed to refloat five whales who had survived the night.

This is just the latest in mass strandings at Farewell Spit, the northernmost tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

Earlier, officials had warned that this is a stressful time for the whales after their time spent stranded yesterday and this morning, but it is not fully understood why whales became stranded but pilot whales are known to be more prone to getting beached.