Whales being buried

2003-11-16 09:26

Wellington - Conservation officials say a dozen sperm whales that died after beaching themselves on the west coast of New Zealand's north island are being buried.

The whales, each weighing about 12 metric tons, died after becoming stranded Friday on the remote beach west of Auckland.

"Refloating was just not an option due to the sheer size of the whales -it was an impossibility," said conservation department spokesperson Warwick Murray.

Sperm whales are the world's largest toothed whales. Adults can grow to up to 18 metres and weigh more than 25 metric tons.

"Such huge whales are often crushed by their own weight when they are out of the water," Murray added.

Conservation officials said bulldozers were being used to bury the whales.

Marine mammal experts were trying to determine why the pod of mainly females had gone ashore in the area, not normally a site of stranding.

Biopsies and measurements of the carcasses had been taken and sent for testing, Murray said, adding it was possible a couple of the whales had been ill.

Experts don't know why whales beach themselves.

Mass stranding of pilot whales is relatively common around parts of New Zealand's coastline, but Murray said beatings of large groups of sperm whales were very rare.

- SAPA