Volunteers are helping to save a pod of 200 pilot whales stranded yesterday on Farewell Spit near Nelson. However, more than half of those whales have already died.
About 100 volunteers arrived at dawn this morning and by lunch time, about 300 people were working hard to save the whales on the beach until they can be floated at high tide. Volunteers brought sheets with them to cover the whales from the sun and buckets so they could keep the whales wet. Although Farewell Spit is a common area for whale strandings, this is the biggest stranding of whales in this area in 15 years.
Although nobody really knows why so many whales strand, one theory is that they follow other whales because they are sociable animals. If one whale gets into trouble in shallow water, other whales follow.
Listen to January 7th 2014 and December 28th 2009 to hear more about whales stranding in NZ.
Go to wikipedia to see a map of NZ showing Farewell Spit.
Vocabulary
• stranded – on the beach and cannot escape back to the water
• a pod of whales – a group of whales
• volunteers – people who want to help; they do not get paid
• theory – a possible reason
• sociable – like company, do not like to be alone
• shallow – not deep