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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Update: Surviving whales refloated (+pics)

Rotorua Daily Post
5 Nov, 2014 12:09 AM5 mins to read

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Project Jonah members and volunteers working to refloat the stranded whales. PHOTO/Project Jonah

Project Jonah members and volunteers working to refloat the stranded whales. PHOTO/Project Jonah

Update:

The 21 surviving whales have been successfully refloated and are back at sea.

Reporter Adriana Weber, who is at the scene, said DOC staff and volunteers had initially been waiting for high tide at 6pm tonight to attempt the refloat.

However the conditions changed and around 11am they were able to successfully refloat the whales. The whales had all disappeared out to sea, she said.

Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.
Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.

Image 1 of 8: Project Jonah's efforts to refloat the stranded whales were successful with 22 whales last seen heading to deeper water.

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That follows the 30 who were refloated last night.

A total of 24 whales have died following the stranding, including 10 that were euthanised.

Earlier:

Volunteers and Department of Conservation staff have been busy working to get a pod of pilot whales re-floated after they stranded on Ohope beach last night.

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Department of Conservation community relations adviser Steve Brightwell, who was at the scene near Ohiwa Harbour, said one whale stranded itself on the beach yesterday afternoon.

By about 4pm, 60 pilot whales had followed suit and volunteers and residents from the area had flooded into the help re-float them, he said.

Department of Conservation staff and about 70 Project Jonah volunteers had also joined in to help save the whales.

Last night about 30 whales were refloated successfully, Mr Brightwell said.

About eight had to be euthanised with a total of about 13 now dead, he said.

The rest went back into the harbour, where volunteers were now in the water with them, waiting for high tide about 6pm tonight to try to re-float them.

He said 21 remained in the harbour alive.

Mr Brightwell said the amount of help from everyone was overwhelming.

"We certainly wouldn't have been able to get those 30 whales back into the water last night if it wasn't for the community, we couldn't have done it alone."

The public is being asked to keep clear of Ohope boat ramp as this is being used as a staging post for those assisting with the rescue operation.

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The Department of Conservation's Mike Jones said a helicopter was monitoring the waters off Whakatane.

He said there were encouraging signs whales saved earlier were not returning to shallow water.

Mr Jones said a badly injured whale was found up the harbour channel early afternoon.

That animal's companions were probably concerned for its well-being, possibly causing the mass stranding.

"Often it's to do with a sick or injured whale that comes in. And the pod naturally wants to come and support that injured one.

"Mass pilot whale strandings were more common in the Golden Bay area, the far North, and the Chatham Islands. Most strandings occurred in spring and summer.

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Police said they had to appeal last night for the public to stay away from the beach as the Department of Conservation had all the help they needed as a result of the awesome community response.

This morning about 50 people from the charity Project Jonah who are experts in these situations, are on site. They are currently caring for approximately 22 whales in shallow water working to get them back out to sea.

Police say there are sufficient people on site at this stage to assist the whales.

Earlier: A large pod of whales were stranded on Ohope beach last night.

The Department of Conservation's Mike Jones told Radio New Zealand staff and volunteers wouild see if the whales could be refloated on the high tide this morning.

He said they refloated 30 whales yesterday but dozens more came into the harbour.

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About 70 Project Jonah volunteers were working with the department to get whales back in the water.

Whakatane Coastguard was also supporting the effort.

Whale strandings in the Bay of Plenty of this magnitude were rare.

"There hasn't been an event of this size that anyone can recall," Mr Jones told Morning Report.

Rescuers hoped high tide at 5pm this evening would be a chance to get the distressed whales back in the water.

Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said last night it was a "mass stranding in and around the Ohope harbour".

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"We don't have confirmed numbers yet but we do know it is a large pod and we have some local volunteers on standby and have been in contact with the Department of Conservation."

Mr Grover said last night that Project Jonah would be heading down to Ohope to help local volunteers re-float the mammals.

"We are aiming to be there at first light [6am] because that will be the next high tide and our best chance of helping them [whales]."

Police said there were two pods of pilot whales.

Some of the whales had beached themselves on the ocean side of the harbour.

Department of Conservation staff and police staff were in attendance.

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No other people were required and those that were on the beach are hindering DOC action.

Harbour Road was closed to traffic from Te Taiawatea Drive.

Police asked members of the public not to come on to the beach.

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