250 Whales Die ‘in Bulk’ Near New Zealand

Over 250 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding at South Island in New Zealand, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

The stranded whales have died on the Chatham Islands, Radio New Zealand quoted the whale rescue organization Project Jonah’s General Manager Darren Grover as saying.

A day earlier, Project Jonah New Zealand said that there has been a second mass stranding of pilot whales on the Chatham Islands, this time on Rangiauria/Pitt Island, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the stranding over the weekend.

“Again, this is an incredibly isolated and remote part of the world, with a small population and known for great white sharks which pose risk to both people and whales,” said Project Jonah in a Facebook post.

Several such incidents occurred earlier on the Chatham Islands, including the death of over 215 whales just days ago.