More than 50 whales have become stranded in the shallows and among the coastal rocks of New Zealand. Several of the animals have died, while rescue teams and local residents are trying to help the survivors, Radio New Zealand reports.
The incident occurred near the settlement of Ngawi in the Wairarapa region, in the southeastern part of the country's North Island.
According to the conservation organisation Project Jonah, the animals are pilot whales, also known as being short-finned pilot whales. Despite their name, they belong to the dolphin family.
So far, rescuers have managed to return two of the animals to the water. The condition of the remaining survivors is critical, with some having suffered injuries after becoming trapped among the rocks.
Marine mammal specialists, staff from New Zealand's Department of Conservation and volunteers from the local community are taking part in the rescue operation. They are trying to protect the animals from overheating by keeping their skin wet.
“It is terrible. Those that are still alive are at the end of their strength,” local resident Rob Barg said.
Fisherman Andrew Sim said that, based on his observations, most of the animals in the group had already died as a result of their injuries.
Representatives of the conservation authorities and the local community plan to hold a traditional Māori prayer, known as a karakia, in memory of the whales that died.
Mass strandings of pilot whales are a known phenomenon along the coast of New Zealand. These marine mammals live in highly cohesive social groups, which can lead to large numbers of animals becoming stranded at the same time. However, the exact causes of such incidents cannot always be established.