Whales taken to final resting place

Sixteen pilot whales have been moved to a hillside above Port Levy.

The whales were part of a pod of about 60 that stranded in the Bank Peninsula bay on Sunday morning.

Most of the whales were herded to sea by about 80 residents, holidaymakers and volunteers from marine mammal rescue organisation Project Jonah.

The group's chief executive, Kim Muncaster, said the rescued whales were last seen about 6pm on Sunday three kilometres off Pigeon Bay.

"The pod were doing really well. They were swimming strongly."

The dead whales were moved from the beach yesterday to Murray Craw's cattle farm above Port Levy, where autopsies were performed on seven. The autopsies are expected to be finished today.

Department of Conservation community relations programme manager Grant Campbell said it was decided not to do the autopsies on the beach because of the mess it would make and the discharge that could get in the water.

A team of four, including Auckland University of Technology marine specialist Emma Beatson and a DOC marine scientist, performed the autopsies.

Craw, who has farmed at Port Levy for 25 years, said his daughter lived across the road from the beach and he did not want his daughter to face the smell of the whales. The whales were due to be buried today after being blessed by kaumatua.

Campbell said a Ngai Tahu representative did not want to take any of the whale remains.

- © Fairfax NZ News