New Zealand rescuers refloat 100 stranded whales

Risingbd Desk: Volunteers in New Zealand have managed to refloat about 100 of the 400 pilot whales that swam aground on a remote beach on Friday.

Many of the whales died overnight at Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island, but those that survived are now swimming in the bay off the beach.

Hundreds of locals managed to rescue the survivors after forming a human chain to refloat the whales.

The incident is one of the worst such cases the country has seen.

On Friday, a number of the whales that had been refloated returned to the beach overnight, but high tide and the arrival of a new pod of pilot whales on Saturday morning improved rescue efforts.

“Fingers crossed, the new whales are going to lead them out into deeper water,” said Andrew Lamason, the department of conservation's regional manager.

However, he added that there was still a chance that they might turn back into Golden Bay.

Mr Lamason said improved weather and clear waters also helped with the latest rescue attempt, but added that he had to warn volunteers about the possibility of stingrays and sharks after one of the dead whales appeared to have bite marks.

Officials on Saturday were also considering how best to dispose of the whale carcasses. Mr Lamason said that simply towing them out to sea could be problematic as they may become gaseous and buoyant and float into populated bays.

Source: BBC



risingbd/Feb 11, 2017/Mukul