Why Whales Die In Mass Stranding On Remote New Zealand Beach?

Stewart Island, remotely located 19 miles off the coast of South Island in New Zealand witnessed a heartbreaking incident last November with 145 whales dying stranded. When the incident got noticed, almost half the whales were dead and the remaining on the verge of death. Owing to conditions insufficient to re-float them in the water, those alive were euthanized.

Stranding of whales is common in New Zealand. The conservation department of the country responds to 85 such incidents per year on an average. The probable causes for this may be extreme weather conditions, low tide, sickness, error in navigation, predator chase or geographical conditions.

Image courtesy: https://www.ndtv.com