Up to 250 pilot whales have stranded on a remote New Zealand island, according to conservationists.
This was reported by the whale protection organization Project Jonah on Monday, citing reports on its Facebook page.
The mass stranding happened on Pitt Island in the South Pacific, more than 800 kilometers from the east coast of New Zealand.
According to the conservationists, more than 200 pilot whales died on a neighboring island on Saturday.
Whales stranded in this area can only rarely be brought back into deeper water by helpers, the organization said.
"It's an incredibly isolated and remote part of the world with a small population." The area is also known for great white sharks, which pose a threat to humans and the whales.
After the stranding on Saturday, animals found alive were euthanized.
In New Zealand it happens again and again that whales get lost on beaches.
Such events are also not uncommon on the Chatham Islands, to which Pitt Island belongs.
In 1918 more than 1000 animals are said to have died in a single stranding.