Another whale has stranded and died on Northland's west coast after locals tried to refloat it last night.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the whale beached at Rawene last night, and locals refloated it, but it was found dead on the shore this morning.
It is thought to be a pygmy orca, like the pod that stranded further up the coast on Ninety Mile Beach earlier this week.
But DOC said experts did not think it was the one remaining whale from the six refloated at Rarawa.
Five of those whales had to be put down after they stranded again at Great Exhibition Bay yesterday - and the last one was seen swimming out to sea.
However, DOC said the distance between that bay and Rawene made it unlikely that the latest casualty was the same whale.