February, 2017 »300 pilot whales killed in New Zealand Dozens of lifeguards fight against the clock to keep alive survivors waiting for the tide to rise, while the situation of those that have been retreated

February, 2017 »300 pilot whales killed in New Zealand Dozens of lifeguards fight against the clock to keep alive survivors waiting for the tide to rise, while the situation of those that have been retreated
About 300 pilot whales died in New Zealand on Friday after more than 400 were stranded in remote Bay Golden, in the northwest of the South Island, local press reported. It is one of the major incidents of this type that are remembered in the country. In the picture, some of the dead animals on the beach at Farewell Spit.

Dozens of lifeguards are struggling to keep the survivors alive while waiting for the tide to rise, while monitoring the situation of those that have been flooded

Andrew Lamason, regional director of the Conservation Department, admitted that the outlook was bleak, as most of the more than 100 whales that had been reeled at high tide had returned and ran aground.

In February of 2015 an operation was organized to try to save to 200 pilot whales that were trapped in the same zone of Farewell Spit, but did not prevent that the majority perished in the place.

The largest 'collective suicide' of whales on a beach dates back to 1918, when 1,000 cetaceans ran aground on the remote Chatham islands; The second number incident occurred in 1985 in Auckland, with 450 stranded whales.

The reasons why these whales have been stranded are unknown, although Golden Bay, which has shallow waters, is known for these types of incidents.

Specimens of dead pilot whales in New Zealand's Golden Bay.

Source:
http://elpais.com/elpais/2017/02/10/album/1486712816_549019.html#1486712816_549019_1486712891