More than two dozen whales die in mass stranding at New Zealand beach renowned as death trap for ocean giants, wildlife rangers say
More than two dozen whales have died in a mass stranding at a New Zealand beach renowned as a death trap for the ocean giants, wildlife rangers said.
The Department of Conservation said on Friday 29 long-finned pilot whales were already dead when the pod of 34 marine mammals was found at remote Farewell Spit on the South Island late on Thursday. Department spokesman Dave Winterburn said rangers were providing care for five survivors but noted "the whales have now been out of the water for some time"."The cause of this stranding is not known."Farewell Spit, a 26-kilometre hook of sand that protrudes into the sea, has been the scene of more than 10 pilot whale strandings in the past 15 years.Scientists are unclear about why the beach is so deadly.
One theory is that the spit creates a shallow seabed in the bay that interferes with the whales' sonar navigation systems. Pilot whales, the most common species of whale in New Zealand waters, are particularly susceptible to mass strandings.Source: AFP
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