A dozen sperm whales that died after beaching on the west coast near Auckland overnight will be buried in the sand dunes, the Department of Conservation says.
Experts were today trying to understand why the 12 mainly female whales, each weighing around 12 tons, came ashore between Karekare and themouth of the Manukau Harbour.
DOC responded to several phone calls to its emergency line early today, but the last of the whales died around midday, DOC spokesman Warwick Murray told NZPA.
"Refloating was just not an option due to the sheer size of the whales -- it was an impossibility," he said.
"Such huge whales are often crushed by their own weight when they are out of the water."
Biopsies and measurements had been taken from the dead whales and sent for testing. There was a possibility a couple of the whales were sick.
It would be several days before they could be buried and DOC and the Auckland Regional Council would maintain a 24-hour guard at the sites.
"We have had past experiences of people coming in with chainsaws to hack the jaws from dead whales, because they are valuable," Mr Murray said.
Members of the public could look at the dead whales from a distance, but would not be permitted to touch them.
DOC would work with local Maori and other authorities in the coming days, he said.
Mass strandings of pilot whales were quite common, but large numbers of beached sperm whales was very rare.
