In a remarkable effort led by conservation workers and community members, more than 30 pilot whales that had stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean. Despite the successful rescue, the New Zealand conservation agency reported that four of the whales did not survive the stranding.

New Zealand has sadly become known for frequent whale beachings, particularly involving pilot whales. On Monday, a monitoring team was deployed to Ruakaka Beach, near Whangarei, to ensure that the rescued whales did not strand again. The Department of Conservation celebrated the cooperative effort of hundreds of individuals in saving the whales, with spokesperson Joel Lauterbach noting the deep emotional connection people feel towards these marine creatures.

In honor of the whales that lost their lives—three adults and one calf—a special Maori cultural ceremony was held on Monday. For New Zealand’s Indigenous people, whales are considered a taonga, or sacred treasure, reflecting their cultural importance.

Since 1840, New Zealand has witnessed over 5,000 whale strandings, with one of the largest incidents occurring in 1918 when approximately 1,000 pilot whales beached themselves at the Chatham Islands. Although the exact cause of strandings is often unclear, the unique geography of New Zealand, characterized by wide stretches of coastline and shallow beaches, may disrupt the navigation of species like pilot whales, which rely on echolocation.