2 publishers · first seen Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:20 UTC · updated Fri, 06 Nov 2026 22:28 UTC
About 50 pilot whales were found stranded on the Ngawi coastline near Cape Palliser, New Zealand, on Thursday morning. Despite efforts by the Department of Conservation, Project Jonah, local iwi, and volunteers, all the whales, including four initially found alive, have died. The cause of the stranding remains unknown. This is the first mass stranding in the area since the 1990s.
Local residents and fishermen expressed their sadness and confusion over the incident, with some noting that the whales were discovered in the middle of the night. The Department of Conservation and local iwi planned to name the whales and perform karakia on Thursday evening.
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