Eight stranded sperm whales die on South Taranaki beach

In 2013 a sperm whale was found dead on the shore in Westland in the South Island.

A vet pathologist is trying to figure out what led to the death of eight sperm whales at a South Taranaki beach this week.

The whales were found stranded early on Thursday morning by a member of the public at Kaupokonui Beach.

A Department of Conservation spokesman, Des Williams, said rangers reported the whales dead about midday on Thursday.

"Together with local hapū/iwi Ngati Tu the eight whales were confirmed dead and the site was blessed," he said.

"The species was later confirmed as sperm whales, for which strandings in numbers on New Zealand beaches is relatively rare."

Ngati Tu hapū and DOC staff were preparing the site for burial but scientific analysis had to be recorded first.

"The whales are being measured and other statistical details recorded," Williams said.

"A veterinary pathologist has been on site this morning to assess if a necropsy is possible to try to determine cause of death."

Williams said that due to the ruggedness of the coast and difficult weather it would take several days before the animals were ready for burial.

He said the whales were still protected by law and it was illegal to take parts of a dead marine mammal without a permit.

It was unusual but not unheard of for sperm whales to strand in such numbers. The last incident of this scale took place on a west Auckland beach in 2003, involving 12 whales.

The largest recorded stranding of this species in New Zealand took place at Muriwai Beach in 1974 when 72 sperm whales died.