The death of whales in New Zealand

Conservation workers in New Zealand have attempted to coax pilot whales back into the sea, after they got stranded on a beach. Hundreds of volunteers tried to keep the mammals wet throughout the day. Around 125 whales died, whilst 43 others managed to swim free from Colville Beach on the North Island’s Coromandel peninsula. Large numbers of whales become stranded on New Zealand’s beaches each summer as they pass by on their way to breeding grounds from Antarctic waters. Scientists so far have been unable to explain why whales become stranded. More pix after the jump.