Dead pilot whales sit on the high tide line during a mass stranding at Farewell Spit on February 11, 2017. In total, more than 650 pilot whales have beached themselves along a 5 kilometre stretch of coastline over two days on Farewell Spit at the tip of the South Island. The largest was in 1918, when about 1,000 pilot whales came ashore on the Chatham Islands. In 1985, about 450 whales stranded in Auckland. Pilot whales grow to about 7.5 metres and are common around New Zealand’s waters.

Source: thestar February 11, 2017 22:35 UTC