500 whales washed ashore on New Zealand islands and died

(CNN) – Hundreds of pilot whales have died after becoming stranded near shark-infested waters of a remote chain of islands in the South Pacific, rescue groups and conservationists said.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation told CNN that nearly 500 whales washed ashore on the Chatham Islands, 840 kilometers east of the main South Island, in two separate incidents reported by residents over the weekend.

Dave Lundquist, the department’s marine technical adviser, said there was no attempt to refloat stranded animals in the area because of the risk of shark attacks on people and whales. Survivors sacrificed themselves to escape further suffering, he said.

“This decision is never taken lightly, but it is the kindest choice in cases like this,” Lundquist said.

Darren Grover, general manager of the rescue organization Project Jonah, explained that most pilot whales were already dead when they reached land. He also said that the condition of the survivors was critical.

“To have such a large number of whales in one place is unusual, but certainly not unusual,” he said.

Adding to the danger posed by sharks, he said it was “almost impossible” for rescue teams to get to the Chatham Islands on such short notice. This has created a problem in saving the whales.

This massive whaling incident occurs less than once A month later What some 200 pilot whales die off the coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Beaching of pilot whales is common, but the behavior is not yet fully understood, the Department of Conservation said. Most scientists believe that individual whales become stranded because they are sick and nearing the end of their normal lives.

The Chatham Islands, home to around 600 people, are one of New Zealand’s top three “few places”. According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, in 1918, the archipelago had the highest number of whale sightings in the country with about 1,000 individuals.