Story: East Coast region

During the mid-19th century shore whalers operated from many locations on the East Coast. Through the 20th and into the 21st century whales still populated these waters. On 18 March 1970 nearly 60 sperm whales stranded along Wainui Beach, some of them, as in this image, on the jagged rocks at the base of Tatapōuri Point. Observers recalled that the sea was red with blood. Controversy broke out when some sightseers tried to take body parts as souvenirs, in one instance with a chainsaw. None of the whales survived; a grave 150 metres long, 10 metres wide and 5 metres deep was excavated to bury them.