Department Of Conservation Calls for More Volunteer to Rescue Third Pods of Stranded Whales at Farewell Spit

Department of Conservation Golden Bay has called for more volunteers to take part in the rescue operation of the third pod of pilot whales at New Zealand’s Farewell Spit. Just a few hours of accomplishing rescue mission of the second pod of stranded whales, the possibility of over hundred whales coming back to shore has raised, to address which, Golden Bay’s Department Of Conservation has released a fresh volunteer call notice.

“Anyone with a wetsuit and bucket is welcomed to join hand in rescue operation,” said Andrew Lamason, Operation Manager of Department of Conservation Golden Bay.

Back on Thursday this week, hundreds of pilot whales have stranded on the beach of Golden Bay due to the weak waves in the sea. In the first pod, a total of 400 pilot whales were trapped overnight, and nearly 300 of them were recorded as dead in the first day itself. According to the official report, this is the largest-ever recorded mainland whale stranding event in New Zealand. After the death of such a huge number of aquatic mammals on Thursday, the Charity Project Jonah alongside hundreds of volunteers joined forces to commence a rescue operation for the stranded whales and put them back into the bay.

At high surge on Thursday Morning, hundreds of volunteers created a human chain in the waves and pushed off the trapped whales offshore. However, in spite of great efforts given by the volunteers, the whales again back at menace and DOC expressed its great concerns while asking for more helpers for the mission. This afternoon, DOC gunned down 20 of the live whales with a rifle, whales which were too ailing to stay alive or be saved. As the ill whales have the potentiality to attract other whales from the Bay, DOC was almost forced to take this unsympathetic step. According to Andrew Lamson, DOC Golden Bay’s Operations Manager, “It was a subject of evaluating resources.”

Again on Saturday morning, the third pod of whales, consisting nearly 180 mammals were spotted stranded on the beach of Golden Bay. As low tide is currently going out in Golden Bay, the officials are expecting the number of stranded whales to mount by the end of the day.

Up to now, there are three events of stranded pods of whales have recorded, out of which; one took place down off Farewell Spit, and the rest two were off Puponga. As the onlookers have witnessed hundreds of whales in the nearby coastal areas, now, Golden Bay’s Department of Conservation has called for more unpaid assistants to carry on the rescue operation. It has requested people to come with wetsuit and bucket for participating in the mission.