People teamed up to accomplish an incredible feat. In New Zealand, people came together to help more than 30 stranded whales get back into the ocean.
On Sunday, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation became aware of 40 stranded pilot whales on Ruakākā Beach.
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The Associated Press reported that most of the whales were safely returned to the ocean. That was made possible by conservation workers and residents, who helped to refloat the whales by lifting them onto sheets.
Project Jonah, an organization that works to protect and rescue marine mammals, assisted in the efforts by sending 30 medics to the scene.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a DOC spokesperson, told the outlet. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
While most of the whales were saved, three adults and one calf died, New Zealand’s DOC said. Per the AP, a Māori cultural ceremony for the deceased whales took place on Monday. The country’s Indigenous people consider whales a sacred treasure, the outlet reported.
On Monday, the department wrote on Facebook that there had been no reports or sightings of a re-stranding. Whale strandings are commonplace in New Zealand. In fact, per the DOC, more than 5,000 strandings of whales and dolphins have been recorded around the New Zealand coast since 1840.
