Photo: Supplied / Project Jonah
A humpback whale has died after being stuck on a sandbar north of Dunedin.
The whale, estimated to be around eight to 10 metres long, was first spotted at the mouth of the Waitati River around midday Saturday.
Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said it was hoped the whale would be able to free itself on the incoming tide.
It had consulted with several organisations through the International Whaling Commission's Global Stranding Experts Panel.
"All our hopes were that the whale would, with the incoming tide, be able to simply lift itself up and off of there," Grover said.
"The high tide came, the high tide went, and sadly the whale wasn't able to free itself - indicative of perhaps some form of underlying problem."
Grover said Project Jonah had assessed the whale's health alongside the Department of Conservation and found it to be unwell.
Department of Conservation operations manager Gabe Davies said that was often the case when a humpback whale - normally found in deep water - had come ashore.
The whale had sustained significant injuries, which Grover believed could have been from a boat or ship strike.
It was also malnourished, and had a high load of parasites, Grover said.
Photo: Supplied / Project Jonah
The Department of Conservation had made the decision to return once it was light due to the high risk to people's safety when working with stranded whales in darkness.
The whale was found to have died overnight.
Davies said it was now working with the local council and mana whenua - Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki - to develop a plan for the respectful relocation of the whale.
Meanwhile, a United Nations treaty to protect international waters could make it safer for whales to travel through New Zealand and beyond.
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty will become international law next year after being ratified by 60 countries.
WWF New Zealand chief executive Kayla Kingdon-Bebb said it would protect humpback whales throughout their long migrations.
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