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At least 19 pilot whales died stranded off the coast of New Zealand, New Zealand officials said, with rescuers managing to save a dozen cetaceans.
On Saturday, the New Zealand Ministry of Conservation reported that a group of pilot whales had been trapped in sandbanks after the tide went down in an area near Coromandel, North Island.
Rescuers managed to keep some whales alive until the tide rose, then pushed them into the sea, but at least 19 died.
Pilot whales were part of a group of about 60 seen this weekend near the Coromandel coast.
New Zealand officials continue to monitor the group’s movements, noting that “it is not uncommon for pilot whales to run aground several times over several days”.
Read more in Jornal de Notícias
