A valiant effort to save a minke whale found stranded on the Far North's Karikari Peninsula has failed.
The whale was placed on a pontoon late on Thursday afternoon and held there for an hour and a half so it could get its bearings, then towed into deeper water by a charter fishing boat. However, as soon as it was released it headed back to the beach.
It was finally shot by a Department of Conservation ranger at 1am on Friday.
The whale was found aground in the shallows of Patea Beach, near Whatuwhiwhi, early on Thursday morning, but was likely to have got into difficulties the night before. Mel Windlebourne and Ray Geddye were there by 8am, covering the animal with sheets and carrying countless buckets of water to keep it wet.
Reinforcements arrived as the morning wore on, although there was no prospect of attempting to return it to the water until at least mid-afternoon as the tide rose.
At 8.7m long the young adult minke was far too heavy to be moved with a lifting frame.
The whale had appeared to be in good condition, was breathing steadily and showed no signs of injuries or stress. The only signs of damage were wounds left by cookie cutter sharks.
A marine mammal expert at Massey University had warned DoC that minke whales were not as robust as the more commonly found pilot whales, and less likely to survive a stranding.
The difficult job of getting a pontoon underneath the whale began mid-afternoon when the water was deep enough to give the animal some buoyancy. It took some doing, however, and rescuers spent two more hours in cold water and a chill wind.
"The whale was taken out into deeper water and held there, in the pontoon, for about an hour and a half while it got its bearings," DoC's acting area manager Carolyn Smith said.
"Then it was towed out into deeper water, but as soon as the pontoon was removed it headed straight back to the beach. By then it was dark and freezing cold, impossible to carry on."
"Eventually it was agreed that we had no choice but to euthanase it," Ms Smith said.
"A DOC ranger who's trained in euthanasing whales came up from Whangarei, and it was shot at about 1am."
Ms Smith had nothing but praise for the efforts of Ngati Kahu and others who tried to save the whale.
"They were just awesome. Everyone worked together in difficult conditions, and stuck at it for as long as there was any hope of succeeding. It was a shame it couldn't be returned to the water but it was important to try. Most people find a whale stranding to be a very emotional experience, and for many an event like this is a rare opportunity to connect with the natural environment."
The nearby Haiti-tai-marangai Marae gave the rescuers hot drinks, food, showers and a place to sleep.
Call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) if you see a marine mammal or other protected wildlife in trouble.