Nine pilot whales have stranded at Farewell Spit, at the northern end of Golden Bay on New Zealand’s South Island. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) arrived on the scene on Tuesday, and volunteers worked through the night to help keep the whales hydrated and comfortable.
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02-13, 2025Among those providing assistance were three students holidaying in nearby Puponga: Kara Tait from Wellington, and Maddie Gallagher and Sam Cleverley from Dunedin. Tait told Stuff news that they drove over to help after hearing about the stranding through a neighbor's WhatsApp group.
"We were using buckets to throw water on them, and we did that for about an hour or so," Tait said. "There are about nine pilot whales beached at Farewell Spit right now. DOC said they expect more to beach overnight." The group worked with DOC staff to keep the whales hydrated, and DOC instructed them to return in the morning to assist with the next steps.
"They told us to come back in the morning, because sharks come out after dark. Some of the whales already had bite marks," Tait said. "DOC also said the high tide might help the whales get back out to sea, but if not, we'll be back tomorrow to try and herd them out."
Farewell Spit has a history of whale strandings, and DOC told the student group they suspect this may be the same pod of whales that stranded in early December. "They said it's quite common for them to come here," Tait added.
