Tragedy at Twilight Beach: Whale Stranding in New Zealand

More than two dozen pilot whales perished after getting stranded on New Zealand's Twilight Beach. A rescue wasn't feasible due to the beach's remoteness and the whales' condition. A Maori spiritual ban is in place for cultural recovery. Whale strandings are common in New Zealand and Australia.

More than 24 pilot whales have tragically died after becoming stranded on the remote Twilight Beach in New Zealand. A group of 29 whales was discovered on Monday at the beach near the country's northern tip.

The Department of Conservation deemed a rescue operation unfeasible due to the challenging location, the condition of the whales, and tidal influences. As of Thursday, 27 whales have died, according to The Northern Advocate.

A rahui, or Maori spiritual ban, was imposed to allow cultural recovery and manage biohazard clean-up. The local Ngati Kuri community will lead the process with departmental support. Frequent mass strandings occur in the region due to extensive colonies of pilot whales in nearby deep oceans, though the exact cause remains unknown.

(With inputs from agencies.)