Researchers say that about 100 pilot whales were stranded on a beach on the Chatham Islands, in New Zealand. The island is located 800km east of New Zealandβs South Island. The final tally was 97 whales and three dolphins.
Sadly, the Department of Conservation (DOC) was unable to reach them for three hours due to a power outage.
DOC Biodiversity Ranger, Jemma Welch, said that a few whales were still alive when they were found, but none of them ended up making it.
βOnly 26 of the whales were still alive at this point, the majority of them appearing very weak, and were euthanized due to the rough sea conditions and almost certainty of there being great white sharks in the water which are brought in by a stranding like this,βWelch said in a statement.
