Specialist marine mammal medics are working to save a pilot whale that restranded near the scene of a mass beaching at Farewell Spit yesterday.
DOC ranger Ellie Kerrisk with some of the pilot whales stranded on Farewell Spit. Photo: Supplied / Department of Conservation
Thirty-six pilot whales were found on the spit at the top of the South Island last night, but only five survived the night.
They were refloated with the high tide at 11 this morning.
A stranded whale found beside the body of its dead companion later today does not appear to have been part of that group. It had to be euthanised.
However, a second whale that beached near Puponga is one of the five, and it's now being cared for by Project Jonah.
Farewell Spit is a common site for whale strandings - more than 60 pilot whales stranded just last month, and 28 of them died.
Last February, 49 long-finned pilot whales stranded on Farewell spit - nine died and the rest were successfully refloated.
Department of Conservation Tāaka operations manager Dave Winterburn said it was notified of the stranding at 6pm on Thursday by a member of the public who called the DOC hotline.
It appeared the whales stranded earlier in the day, about four kilometres along from the base of the spit spread across a kilometre.
Rangers assessed the whales last night, but were unable to stay at the beach due to the incoming tide. They arrived back at the spit before sunrise at 7.30am
Vehicle access to the site is restricted by tides and it can only be reached by foot at high tide.
Project Jonah said a spotter plane would search for other whales in the bay.
The cause of this stranding was not known.
Scientists were still trying to work out why Farewell Spit has been a frequent site for whale strandings.
The long, narrow sand spit hooks around the northern entrance into the bay and forms extensive intertidal sand flats.
In February 2017, a mass stranding occurred when nearly 700 whales were beached and more than 300 died, while the rest were refloated.
Winterburn said DOC is working with Manawhenua ki Mohua to ensure the deceased whales are treated appropriately.
It is likely they will be taken out to sea and tethered, to aid with decomposition.