Rescuers Race To Help 40 Whales Stranded At Northland Beach

About 40 pilot whales have stranded on a Northland beach, and hundreds of locals and volunteers are trying to help them as the tide goes out.

Whale rescue organisation Project Jonah received calls about 4.30pm Sunday that the whales were in trouble at Ruakākā beach, general manager Daren Grover said.

Initially the pod was in the shallows, and locals did their best to prevent stranding - but many of them had since stranded, he said..

The Department of Conservation (DOC) was on its way, and about 200 people were already on the beach helping, he said.

"Our aim will be ... to help make them comfortable, that's the key here.

"They're a big social pod and they will be looking out for each other, they'll be calling out to each other as well, and it might be quite harrowing for people on the beach, but our aim will be to help get them comfortable and help calm them down and also meet their immediate needs."

That could involve pouring water over them to keep them cool, he said.

The effort would continue into the evening but volunteers would leave the beach at last light, and return at first light on Monday morning, Grover said.

"We will assess the scene and see what whales are there, and then work with what we find in the morning."

He asked anyone at the beach to follow the guidance of Project Jonah and DOC.

"Stranded whales are highly stressed and they can be very dangerous, and often injuries do happen to people where the advice isn't followed."

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