An effort to save dozens of whales from certain death is being hailed as “incredible” by New Zealand conservationists. More than 30 stranded pilot whales were reportedly rescued on Sunday, Nov. 24, by residents and conservation workers in New Zealand.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 44%
Center 47%
Right 9%
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
“We’ve had, you know, a really awesome response from the community,” Dave Milner, who works with the resource management unit, which helped with the rescue, said. “Thousands of people have come down to help, and you know, it was great to see their unity, you know, for the same purpose.”
Point phone camera here
Volunteers used sheets to lift the whales back into the water off of the coast of northern New Zealand.
“So, there were a lot of people in the water, obviously, you know, safety is a real priority here and so Project Jonah has got a whole team of trained, you know, volunteers who support events like these,” Joel Lauterbach, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, said. “And they’re trained to be in the water, they’re trained to be around these amazing animals and basically making a lot of noise and really encouraging them back out by splashing, and yeah, and refloating as well.”
Despite the mass effort, four whales died, including three adults and one calf.
Conservationists watched on Monday, Nov. 25, to make sure there were no cases of restranding.
New Zealand is a hotspot for whales swimming ashore. The country recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.
The largest whale stranding occurred in 1918 when around 1,000 whales became beached.
It’s unclear how or why the strandings happen so often, but biologists believe the island nation’s geography plays a role.
New Zealand’s north and south islands are home to extended coastlines with sloped beaches and can sometimes confuse whales, which rely on echolocation to navigate.
[JACK AYLMER]
A REMARKABLE EFFORT TO SAVE DOZENS OF WHALES FROM CERTAIN DEATH.
MORE THAN 30 STRANDED PILOT WHALES SUNDAY WERE RESCUED BY RESIDENTS AND CONSERVATION WORKERS DOWN UNDER.
[DAVE MILNER]
WE’VE HAD, YOU KNOW, A REALLY AWESOME RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE COME DOWN TO HELP, AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEIR UNITY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAME PURPOSE.
[JACK AYLMER]
VOLUNTEERS LIFTED THE WHALES BACK INTO THE WATER USING SHEETS OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN NEW ZEALAND.
[JOEL LAUTERBACH]
“SO, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN WATER. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS A REAL PRIORITY HERE AND SO PROJECT JONAH HAS GOT A WHOLE TEAM OF TRAINED, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS WHO SUPPORT EVENTS LIKE THESE. AND THEY’RE TRAINED TO BE IN THE WATER, THEY’RE TRAINED TO BE AROUND THESE AMAZING ANIMALS AND BASICALLY MAKING A LOT OF NOISE AND REALLY ENCOURAGING THEM BACK OUT BY SPLASHING AND YEAH, AND REFLOATING AS WELL.”
[JACK AYLMER]
DESPITE THE MASS EFFORT, FOUR WHALES DID DIE, INCLUDING THREE ADULTS AND ONE CALF.
CONSERVATIONISTS WATCHED MONDAY TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO CASES OF RESTRANDING.
NEW ZEALAND IS A HOTSPOT FOR WHALES SWIMMING ASHORE, RECORDING MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND WHALE STRANDINGS SINCE 1840, ACCORDING TO NEW ZEALAND’S DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION.
THE LARGEST WHALE STRANDING OCCURRED IN 1918 WHEN AROUND ONE-THOUSAND WHALES BECAME BEACHED.
IT’S UNCLEAR HOW OR WHY THE STRANDINGS HAPPEN SO OFTEN BUT BIOLOGISTS BELIEVE THE ISLAND NATION’S GEOGRAPHY PLAYS A ROLE.
NEW ZEALAND’S NORTH AND SOUTH ARE HOME TO EXTENDED COASTLINES WITH SLOPED BEACHES AND CAN SOMETIMES CONFUSE WHALES, WHICH RELY ON ECHOLOCATION TO NAVIGATE.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 44%
Center 47%
Right 9%
Bias Summary
- Fermentum leo aliquam lacus aptent hac magna dictum ipsum orci amet finibus mauris nullam dui, vulputate elementum faucibus suscipit ultrices nisi dictumst velit vitae penatibus ultricies auctor.
- Et turpis sit eros habitasse ad montes odio libero mattis nostra ullamcorper faucibus, mauris mus nullam at donec id varius urna senectus felis sapien.
Bias Comparison
The Left
netus porttitor tempor rhoncus fringilla efficitur eros placerat euismod consequat sagittis, senectus vel semper molestie vestibulum ante bibendum tortor hac tempus auctor, sed arcu enim magna curae habitasse suscipit dis quam.
The Center
at ridiculus magna per enim volutpat maximus faucibus class id, tempus neque velit quam blandit potenti pulvinar rhoncus.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
54 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
54
Leaning Left
14
Center
15
Leaning Right
3
Last Updated
4 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
