None of the dolphins washed ashore could be saved, and all either died naturally or were euthanized, said Darren Grover, CEO of the nonprofit group Project Jonah, which helps save whales. Associated Press news agency.
Dolphins have washed ashore on the Chatham Islands, which are home to about 600 people and about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand’s main islands.
According to the Department of the Environment, 232 dolphins washed ashore at Topuangi Beach on Friday and another 245 dolphins washed up in Waihair Bay on Monday. The deaths come two weeks after nearly 200 bottlenose dolphins died in Australia after they were washed ashore on a remote beach in Tasmania.
Although these are normal occurrences, it is still sad and difficult for the assistants
– Books of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Grover said that because of the remote location and the presence of sharks, they were unable to muster volunteers to put the dolphins back into the water as they had done in the past.
On the Chatham Islands, due to the danger of sharks attacking both humans and dolphins, we cannot perform rescues, so we had no choice but to euthanize the animals.
– said Dave Lundquist, the department’s maritime advisor.
