Whale Strandings
What happens to the whales we put back to sea
Mass whale strandings are relatively common in New Zealand, but we don't yet know enough about what happens to the marine mammals when we intervene, says Dr Karen Stockin from Massey University's… Audio
Eight whales restrand at Farewell Spit
Eight more whales have restranded at Farewell Spit this afternoon and the Department of Conservation is worried more could come in. RNZ reporter Michael Cropp joins Checkpoint live from the scene. Video, Audio
The grisly task of cleaning up hundreds of whale carcusses
Holes have had to be poked in hundreds of whale carcusses on Farewell Spit to prevent the bodies from exploding as they decompose. Tracy Neal reports. Audio
Whales in danger of restranding
Louisa Hawkes from Project Jonah joins Checkpoint to discuss the latest from Farewell Spit, where a pod of whales are in danger of restranding, again. Audio
Last 17 stranded pilot whales refloated as main pod heads toward sea
The Department of Conservation is trying to figure out what to do with the carcasses of hundreds of whales left on the South Island's Farewell Spit.
200 whales now stranded a whole new pod, says DoC
A whole new pod of about 240 whales is now stranded in Golden Bay, says the Department of Conservation.
Saving whales rewarding, but not glamorous
A Golden Bay woman says saving stranded whales is not glamorous and it has to be tackled with a practical approach.
Farewell Spit whales to be refloated tomorrow
There will not be another attempt to refloat the whales stranded on Farewell Spit until tomorrow, with volunteers working with 60 whales and monitoring another 50 offshore. Video, Audio
DoC to investigate why so many whales have died
Department of Conservation's head of marine species and threats, Ian Angus, is co-ordinating a team taking samples of the whales to find out why so many of them have died. Video, Audio
Nearly 100 whales still alive after mass stranding
Rescuers have spent most of today trying to save as many whales as they can from a mass stranding of more than 400 whales at Farewell Spit. Video, Audio
Project Jonah stands by to refloat whales at high tide
Project Jonah is co-ordinating the response to the whale rescue operation at the top of the South Island. Its general manager Daren Grover talks to John Campbell. Audio
500 volunteers heed call to help whales
Five hundred volunteers headed to Farewell Spit to attempt to rescue 100 stranded whales. Cindy Mosey travelled from Nelson with her two children to help. She describes the scene. Video, Audio
Zoologist links whale strandings to seismic activity
Since Christmas Eve a group of beak whales have been spotted in water only 10 metres deep, while another beak whale and a sperm whale have both stranded and died. Audio