“Wow, Shaun, great commitment...great job.. thank you’ while another posted, ‘You are astounding Shaun’ and ‘great work Shaun. Lee told the Herald a member of the publicwas in the water trying to help the whale which had beached up against rocks. Project Jonah marine mammal medics and Department of Conservation staff responded to calls for help. Project Jonah spokeswoman Louisa Hawkes told RNZ Shepherd’s beaked whales lived in the deep sea and would only come up to shore if something was wrong. According to Project Jonah, Shepherd’s beaked whales have only been spotted out at sea four times, with fewer than 50 strandings recorded globally.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 04, 2026 02:02 UTC