32 long-finned pilot whales beach in New Zealand

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. 11 of 32 whales that stranded at the mouth of the Okuru River in New Zealand are still alive, New Zealand Herald reports.

A wildlife official said it looked like the pilot whales had been there about 12 hours when staff arrived.

"A refloat of the whales wasn't possible because of dangerous sea conditions, with a high swell, and because the tide was receding. It would have been too dangerous to carry out a refloat of the whales in darkness in the overnight high tide."

Pilot whales often strand in large numbers.

Long-finned pilot whales roam the cold temperate waters of the Southern Ocean. Each pod numbers 20-100 whales, though they can congregate in much larger numbers.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan