Over 30 Stranded Pilot Whales Rescued on New Zealand Beach

Hundreds of volunteers, including local Māori, worked together to save the whales, though four did not survive.

A pod of more than 30 pilot whales stranded on Ruakākā Beach in northern New Zealand was successfully refloated and returned to the ocean on Sunday.
The rescue effort involved hundreds of volunteers, including the local Māori group Patuharakeke, conservation workers, and members of the public.
Four whales, including three adults and one calf, died and were honored in a Māori cultural ceremony on Monday.
New Zealand is a global hotspot for whale strandings, with over 5,000 recorded since 1840, often attributed to the country's unique geography and shallow coastal waters.
The Department of Conservation praised the community's efforts, emphasizing the deep cultural and environmental connection to marine life in the region.