Volunteers in New Zealand have managed to refloat about 100 of the 400 pilot whales that swam aground on a remote beach on Friday. Many of the whales died overnight at Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island, but those that survived are now swimming in the bay off the beach. Hundreds of locals managed to rescue the survivors after forming a human chain to refloat the whales. On Friday, a number of the whales that had been refloated returned to the beach overnight, but high tide and the arrival of a new pod of pilot whales on Saturday morning improved rescue efforts. "Fingers crossed, the new whales are going to lead them out into deeper water," said Andrew Lamason, the department of conservation's regional manager.

Source: The Star February 11, 2017 02:26 UTC