An orca stranded at Patea Beach in south Taranaki overnight has died.
The female killer whale stranded about 8pm last night and volunteers moved her back into deeper water by means of a trench dug in the sand by a digger.
The whale was eventually refloated but it spent the night in the breakers and volunteers and Department of Conservation staff were unable to get it to swim out to open sea.
Local iwi are at the beach, where there will be a karakia before the whale was buried.
An orca whale (file photo). Photo: 123RF