नेपाल सम्वत् ११४४ कछलागाः १२ (१२ मंसिर , २०८१) नोभेम्बर २७, २०२४ , बुधबार, बाँपीझ्याला ।More than 30 pilot whales stranded on a beach in New Zealand were successfully returned to the ocean after a collaborative rescue effort involving conservation workers and local residents. The whales were refloated using sheets, though four of them, including three adults and one calf, did not survive, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. The incident took place at Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei in northern New Zealand, where a monitoring team remained on-site to ensure the saved whales did not strand again.
The Department of Conservation lauded the “incredible” efforts of hundreds of people who helped rescue the whales. Joel Lauterbach, a spokesperson for the agency, highlighted the compassion and commitment shown during the operation, emphasizing the shared connection between humans and the marine environment. Following the event, a Māori cultural ceremony was held to honor the deceased whales, recognizing their sacred significance as taonga (treasures) in New Zealand’s Indigenous culture.
Whale strandings are not uncommon in New Zealand, which has recorded over 5,000 incidents since 1840. The country’s largest recorded stranding involved approximately 1,000 pilot whales in the Chatham Islands in 1918. While the reasons for such strandings remain unclear, New Zealand’s geography, with its protruding coastlines and shallow, sloping beaches, is thought to contribute to the phenomenon. These features can disorient species like pilot whales, which rely on echolocation for navigation.
