About 40 Beached Whales in New Zealand Die - Report
Date: 13-Nov-06
Country: AUSTRALIA
The beachings of the pilot whales prompted a community-wide rescue by residents of Ruakaka Beach, about 140 km (85 miles) north of Auckland, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said. Rescuers said about 40 whales had been pushed back to sea after volunteers from the town came to their aid.
"People seemed to come out of the woodwork from everywhere," firefighter Ben Trial told ABC.
Rescue coordinator Sue Campbell said burial plans were underway for 40 or so whales that died on the beach.
New Zealand has one of the world's highest rates of whale strandings, with historical records showing more than 5,000 whales and dolphins had beached themselves in the past 160 years.
The whales became stranded after swimming too close to the beach, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.
