Half of the whales were already dead when they were found by the Department of Conservation officers, who were notified on November 24 night by a hiker camping in the area. A decision was made to put the rest of the whales down due to their poor condition and the remote location.
Many factors could contribute to such whale and dolphin strandings, including sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator, or extreme weather.
