40 stranded whales refloated; 38 die on New Zealand beach
The Associated Press
Published: November 9, 2006
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Forty beached pilot whales were refloated by
refinery workers and volunteers in northern New Zealand on Friday - but
another 38 of the whale pod died on the sandy beach, a Department of
Conservation spokeswoman said.
By early afternoon the rescued whales were off the shore and "starting to
swim strongly" out to sea, spokeswoman Sioux Campbell told The Associated
Press from the North Island city of Whangarei, near the stranding site.
Boats patrolled near the whales to encourage them to continue heading out to
sea rather than return to Ruakaka beach - a "typical sandy, gently sloping
beach" on which whales strand, she said.
The department said it was forced to euthanize a young pilot whale who was
separated from the pod.
Full story at
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/10/asia/
AS_GEN_New_Zealand_Whale_Stranding.php
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