Hundreds of whales stranded on remote beach

Hundreds of whales have tragically beached themselves on a remote New Zealand beach.

Early estimates suggest that more than 400 pilot whales have stranded on the Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, located at the northern end of the South Island.

Farewell Spit is a notorious spot for whale strandings, with about 150 incidents occurring there over the past 150 years.

Golden Bay is shallow, and the fast-moving tidal currents can make it difficult for whales to swim back out to sea.

Department of Conservation Golden Bay operations manager Andrew Lamason said it was one of the largest whale strandings he had ever seen.

"It's quite sad to see," he said. "They're big animals and they've obviously come ashore in quite a lot of numbers."

Members of the public have been warned not to get too close to the stranded whales, as they may be dangerous. Department of Conservation staff are currently working to try and save as many of the whales as possible.

Tourists stunned as huge whale carcass washes up at popular holiday spot

An enormous whale carcass has washed up on a beach at a popular tourist spot, leaving holidaymakers stunned.

The whale, which is said to be around 20 metres long, was discovered on a beach in Yamba, northern New South Wales, on Wednesday morning.

Photos of the gruesome discovery have been shared widely on social media, with many locals and visitors expressing their shock at the sight.

One woman who visited the beach said it was "absolutely heartbreaking" to see the dead animal.

"We were walking along the beach and saw so many people crowded around," she told Yahoo7. "It's such a shame that this happened."

Another person posted on Facebook: "This is just not right! A beautiful creature lost its life and for what? So humans can't enjoy a swim?"

Authorities are currently working to remove the whale's body from the beach.

Expert warns global warming could be to blame for whale mass stranding

In a recent study, published in the journal PLOS One, researchers argue that a mass stranding of whales in Cape Cod in 2016 was likely caused by climate change. The incident, which left more than 30 dead pilot whales stranded on the beach, was one of the largest whale strandings in North America.

Examining environmental data and the behavior of other cetaceans prior to the stranding, the researchers determined that warming waters may have driven the whales closer to shore, where they became disoriented and beached themselves. "This is one of the clearest cases where we have evidence that climate change is driving changes in some marine mammal populations," said study author Larry Madin of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The researchers note that as ocean temperatures continue to warm due to climate change, strandings of large marine mammals like whales may become more common. "We should be prepared for more events like this in the future as global warming continues to drive extreme weather events and changes in environmental conditions," said Madin.

Whale strandings are a heartbreaking but common occurrence around the world. In most cases, scientists are unable to determine what caused the animals to beach themselves. However, as climate change drives warmer waters and more extreme weather events, it is likely that these strandings will become increasingly frequent – and that we will see more evidence linking them to our changing climate.

First responders work to save dozens of whales stranded on beach

At least 70 whales were stranded on a New Zealand beach on Tuesday and first responders were working to save them, the Department of Conservation said.

The department said it was notified of the stranding on Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island just after 9 a.m. It initially believed 100-150 whales were involved, but that estimate was revised downward as volunteers arrived to help.

Volunteers and staff from the department, as well as local farmers and fishermen, were trying to keep the whales alive by pushing them back into the water or covering them in sand. But about half of the herd had died by lunchtime.

Department spokesman Andrew Lamason said the agency was consulting with experts about what to do next. He said each whale weighed about 2 tons and that it was unclear why they had become stranded.

"It's not unusual for them to strand themselves but it is unusual for this many to strand themselves at once," he said.

Lamason said Goodbye Spit — a long, narrow spit of land that curves around an area known as Akaroa Harbour — appeared to be where the whales became stranded. He said there were volunteers from all over New Zealand helping and that some had come from as far away as Auckland, more than 400 miles north of Farewell Spit.

Whale found dead with 20 plastic bags in its stomach

A dead whale found in the Philippines had at least 20 plastic bags in its stomach, officials said this week.

The animal was about 40 feet long and weighed an estimated 4 tons. Pathologists who conducted an autopsy discovered the bags, some of which were from major grocery chains.

The discovery is tragic but not surprising, as it's estimated that 100,000 marine creatures die every year due to plastic pollution. Eight million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean every year, and that number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Plastics take centuries to decompose, and they often break into small pieces that are eaten by fish and other marine life. These pieces can then work their way up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans.

One way to reduce plastic pollution is to reduce our reliance on disposable plastics such as grocery bags, water bottles, and straws. We can also recycle plastics when we do use them.

But ultimately the best solution is to find ways to produce plastic without harming the environment. Some companies are already working on this, and hopefully we'll see more solutions in the years ahead.