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Kōrero: Whales

Saving stranded whales

Video file

This television footage shows locals of Katherine Bay, Great Barrier Island, attempting to save about 200 stranded pilot whales in August 1985. With the help of Ministry of Fisheries staff, 130 of them were refloated.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

TVNZ Television New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Gerard Hutching, Whales – Strandings: whales and dolphins, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/video/7109/saving-stranded-whales (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Gerard Hutching, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.

Comments

Rawiri
27 October 2011
Our idea to prevent whales and dolphins from beaching putting censored sirens on certain beaches. Popular places where whales migrate or breed should have censored sirens in case of whales getting to close to reef or coastline and beaching themselves. This censored siren will signal a stress call if passed. When the whales hear this they will turn around and face away towards the horizon. This will allow them to get out of harms way. All in all, this is our idea to prevent beaching of whales and dolphins.
Nanny Flowers
27 October 2011
Cetaceans are becoming stranded for many reasons. Here are some ideas to help this sad cause. When a Deep-water toothed whale becomes sick, old or is dying, the rest of the whale herd comes over to aid the whale. When deep-water toothed whales endanger themselves by venturing close to inshore. One way to help this is when a deep-water toothed whale becomes sick or is dying the citizens of New Zealand should help care for it, so that the other whales don’t endanger themselves. Places like Golden Bay should change its architecture, so that whales like the long-finned pilot whales and beaked whales wont get stranded. They should do this by rearranging the sand and creating non-protruding coastlines. People should steer whales out of Golden Bay and Hawke's Bay because those bays have very strong currents.
Nanny Flowers
27 October 2011
Cetaceans are becoming stranded for many reasons. Here are some ideas to help this sad cause. When a Deep-water toothed whale becomes sick, old or is dying, the rest of the whale herd comes over to aid the whale. When deep-water toothed whales endanger themselves by venturing close to inshore. One way to help this is when a deep-water toothed whale becomes sick or is dying the citizens of New Zealand should help care for it, so that the other whales don’t endanger themselves. Places like Golden Bay should change its architecture, so that whales like the long-finned pilot whales and beaked whales wont get stranded. They should do this by rearranging the sand and creating non-protruding coastlines. People should steer whales out of Golden Bay and Hawke's Bay because those bays have very strong currents.