Nearly 60 pepper whales die due to being stranded on a beach in New Zealand. Conservationists are racing against time to save the remaining 15 children.
The CEO of the Jonah Project Conservation Project, Kimberly Muncaster, said 15 children are still alive, but "in relatively bad conditions" and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are trying to find ways to rescue them.
According to Muncaster, the DOC is promoting a strategy to rescue the above whales by making them float back or maintain the night life.In the case of too weak, it helps them to die quietly, without pain.
Flock of whales are stranded at New Zealand's beach.(Photo: metro.co.uk)
Muncaster called on people not to come to the scene, as this could make rescue work more difficult. It is expected that the work of "salvage" surviving 15 children will take place in the morning of August 21.
Carolyn Smith, a DOC official, said the whales were stranded the night before and many died before being discovered by authorities. Currently, each live whale, each weighing about 1.5 tons, is being cared for by at least 5 people.
New Zealand is one of the countries with the highest rate of stranded whales in the world. The country often witnessed the sight of each large group of whales being stranded in coastal areas, mainly in the summer, when whales from Antarctic waters migrated to the area.
According to DOC statistics, there have been more than 5,000 dolphins and whales since 1940 until now, stranded on beaches around New Zealand. In 2007, a herd of 101 whales also ran aground at the beach above.