WELLINGTON: Seven whales were successfully herded back to sea after they survived a mass stranding at a New Zealand beach on Saturday, conservation officials said. About 1,000 locals and holidaymakers had spent several hours comforting the beached whales on the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island. “Seven surviving (short-finned) pilot whales have been shepherded out of Matarangi Harbour. Short-finned pilot whales are closely related to the long-finned pilot whales that are regularly involved in mass strandings in New Zealand waters. Two years ago, more than 330 pilot whales died in two strandings at Farewell Spit at the top of New Zealand’s South Island.

Source: New Strait Times January 04, 2020 06:56 UTC