Hundreds in whale rescue

KELLY HODEL/Waikato Times

HELPING HAND: Volunteers and DOC staff work to save a pod of 63 stranded whales at Colville, 24km north of Coromandel yesterday morning.

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The heartwrenching cry of dying whales remains etched in the memories of those who tried valiantly to save a stranded pod in Colville yesterday.

About 300 holidaymakers and volunteers helped free 42 of the 63 stranded pilot whales stranded at the Coromandel Peninsula beach yesterday, wetting them down as they patiently waited for the tide to come in.

A 43rd whale was born during the drama as a mother whale gave birth during the re-floating.

The dead whales were buried this morning.

It was the second whale stranding over the weekend after a pod of 105 long finned pilot whales, calves and adults, were found beached at the eastern tip of Farewell Spit on Boxing Day.

In Colville, Hamilton couple Tania and Rith Lork were the first to spot the distressed whales about 6am.

"It was pretty sad," Mrs Lork said. "The whales were all crying and screaming. I've never seen anything like it and I never want to see anything like it again."

Those staying at the Colville camp grounds rushed to the whales' aid as the Conservation Department (DOC) was alerted.

Among the rescuers was 16-year-old Sarsha Vazey, who was on holiday from Feilding.

Miss Vazey spent about eight hours wetting a mother whale and her calf.

"We've just been digging them up out of the sand and wetting them down. I've never done anything like this before. I've only ever seen it on TV. It's been going really well though. I'm not leaving until I see them swim away."

DOC's Steve Bolton said it was not yet clear why the whales became stranded. They could have become disorientated or one of the whales may have been sick.

It was the first time he'd heard of whales becoming stranded at Colville although it was quite common for pilot whales to do so.

The volunteers had been "quite remarkable".

"It was a good day. The volunteers did well and they all did as they were told which is remarkable for a group of between 200 and 300 people."

A DOC boat spent the night with the whales to ensure they did not become stranded again.

- © Fairfax NZ News