About 100 pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins died in a mass stranding on the remote Chatham Islands about 800 kilometres off New Zealand's east coast.
Most of them were stranded during the weekend, but rescue efforts were hampered by the remote location of the island, officials said on Wednesday.
New Zealand's Department of Conservation said 97 pilot whales and three dolphins died in the stranding They were notified of the incident on Sunday.
"Only 26 of the whales were still alive at this point, the majority of them appearing very weak, and were euthanised due to the rough sea conditions and almost certainty of there being great white sharks in the water, which are brought in by a stranding like this,” said DOC biodiversity ranger Jemma Welch.
Mass strandings are fairly common on the Chatham Islands – up to 1,000 animals died in a single stranding in 1918.
Mass whale strandings have occurred throughout recorded modern history, but why it happens is a question that has puzzled marine biologists for years.
In late September, several hundred whales died in shallow waters off the Australian coast in one of the world's biggest mass whale strandings.
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Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
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The five pillars of Islam
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