{"id":2209015,"date":"2026-11-15T18:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-15T17:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2209015"},"modified":"2026-11-14T13:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T12:22:14","slug":"more-than-40-pilot-whales-die-after-mass-stranding-in-new-zealands-north-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/more-than-40-pilot-whales-die-after-mass-stranding-in-new-zealands-north-island\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 40 pilot whales die after mass stranding in New Zealand\u2019s North Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 40 pilot whales died after a mass stranding event on New Zealand\u2019s remote east coast, conservation officials said on Friday, despite rescue efforts by volunteers and conservation workers.<\/p>\n

The Department of Conservation (DoC) said 43 whales had died in the mass stranding along the Ngawi coast on the south-eastern tip of the North Island.<\/p>\n

The whales were reported to DoC just after 8am on Thursday, after which conservation staff, Maori iwi, or tribe, and volunteers tried to save them. However, \u201cnone of these whales are believed to have survived,\u201d said Ariana Hawira, acting operations manager for DOC Wairarapa.<\/p>\n

After the whales were first spotted trapped among the rocks, rescuers attempted to refloat some of the surviving animals, but they were largely unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

Efforts to save the whales were hampered by the remote location, powerful surf, and sharp rocks in the intertidal zone, said Project Jonah, a group that was involved in the rescue attempts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the whales were discovered, an estimated 40\u201350 whales were stranded along several kilometres of coastline,\u201d Project Jonah said in a Facebook post on Friday. \u201cMany had already died before they were found and sadly the whales that were found alive, succumbed throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A school group assists Project Jonah staff to care for a stranded pilot whale on 5 November. Photograph: Marty Melville\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The conservation department is working with iwi to manage the burial of whales, Hawira said. Whales are considered a taonga \u2013 a sacred treasure \u2013 by M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n

Whale strandings are fairly common in New Zealand and more than 5,000 strandings of whales and dolphins have been recorded since 1840, according to DOC.<\/p>\n

Pilot whales are a member of the dolphin family and can grow up to seven metres (23 ft) long and weigh up to 3 tonnes. The species are prolific stranders, although the behaviour is not well understood, Hawira said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile stranding on this part of the coastline is uncommon, there does not appear to be any indication of strandings becoming more frequent or severe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This article <\/a>by Harry Pearl was first published by The Guardian on 5 November 2026. Lead Image: Dozens of pilot whales were stranded along the Ngawi coast in New Zealand\u2019s Wairarapa region. Photograph: Marty Melville\/AFP\/Getty Images.<\/em><\/p>\n