51 pilot whales die in another mass stranding in New Zealand

Wellington: Fifty-one pilot whales have died in another mass stranding in New Zealand, less than a week after 145 pilot whales died in a different part of the country.

The Department of Conservation says up to 90 pilot whales beached themselves late Thursday on the remote Chatham Islands.

When staff arrived at first light Friday, they said they found up to 40 of the whales had refloated themselves but another 50 had died on the beach. The department says one beached whale remained alive, which they decided to euthanize due to its poor condition.

The Chatham Islands sit about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand’s main islands and are home to about 600 people.

Last weekend, 145 pilot whales died on Stewart Island.