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Mass Whale Stranding in New Zealand

In New Zealand, nearly 200 whales were stranded on a remote beach, while rescue workers and volunteers worked against the clock to try and save them.

Hundreds of volunteers spent Saturday trying to keep the whales wet and calm until the high tide at night, when they attempted to get them into deeper water. Rescuers were able to re-float over 60 of the two-ton whales, but sadly more than 100 died.

Beached whales are common during the summer, but one worker says it's the largest stranding they've had in 20 years.

As for what caused the mass stranding, experts say it's a natural phenomenon. One theory is that a pod of whales may accidentally strand themselves when attempting to come to the aid of a beached whale sending out distress signals.

stephanie.jarvis@ideastream.org | 216-916-6340