A recent mass mortality event affected cetaceans in Pacific waters, with approximately 250 pilot whales dying after running aground on a beach in New Zealand’s Chatham Islands. This follows a separate incident a month earlier when 230 specimens of the same species stranded on a Tasmanian shore, with half of them dying.
Whales remained alive, yet returning them to deeper water proved impossible. In accordance with guidance from government authorities, many of the stranded animals were not refloated. The decision was made to euthanize the surviving whales to prevent further suffering, according to officials quoted by New Zealand media outlets.
Bodies of marine mammals are left on beaches to undergo natural decomposition processes.
Whales stranded on Tasmania were photographed by agencies as the scene unfolded.
Marine mammal rescue organization Proyecto Johan has shared information on 215 stranded whales via social media, while acknowledging that rescue was not feasible in this situation.
According to the group, the Chatham Islands present a particularly difficult environment for saving whales because of inaccessible beach locations and the presence of white sharks, which raises risks for both humans and whales. The organization noted that refloating was not a viable option under these conditions.
The Chatham Islands are a recurring area for whale strandings. The largest known event occurred in 1918, when around 1,000 pilot whales were found stranded. In 2018, 51 pilot whales died after running aground in Hanson Bay, with roughly thirty individuals managing to return to the sea on their own.
In 2017, Farewell Spit on New Zealand’s South Island experienced about 600 people stranded, and efforts by the Army, volunteers and the Jonah Project helped rescue roughly 400 of them.
Recent weeks saw a report of 230 whales stranded on a remote beach in Macquarie Bay, west of the Australian island of Tasmania, with about half of them dying when authorities were informed.
These incidents highlight a recurring pattern of marine mammal strandings along southern Australia and New Zealand coastlines. Experts continue to investigate factors such as disease, navigational errors, abrupt tidal shifts, predator actions, or severe weather that may contribute to these events.
Further inquiries and responses are coordinated through official environmental agencies and wildlife organizations. For more information, observers may contact the relevant environmental authorities for authoritative guidance and updates.