"The animal was underweight but had no sign of injuries or medical conditions."
Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said female pilot whales tend to live around 60 years and males 30-45 years.
The whale was stranded alive and seemed lethargic and did not want to swim away when it could at high tide, Treadgold said.
The whale was not euthanised; it died after struggling to swim.
DoC staff were at the beach on Thursday evening and throughout Friday. They attempted to move the carcass out of the surf zone, but anchored it instead on the falling tide.
Chris Shenton, an iwi representative from Ngāti Apa Ngā Wairiki, was on site and supported with a karakia.
A contractor was employed to dig a burial trench and the animal was buried at South Beach.