Heartbreaker: 145 pilot whales beached on a remote New Zealand beach have died

Heartbreaker: 145 pilot whales beached on a remote New Zealand beach have died | 26 Nov 2018 | As many as 145 whales have died after a "heartbreaking" mass stranding on a remote island, the New Zealand Department of Conservation said on Monday. The whales were reported to the authorities Saturday evening by a hiker on Stewart Island, a remote island which lies off the country's south coast. By the time rescuers arrived at the scene, around half of the stranded pilot whales had already died. The decision was taken to euthanize the surviving whales, the Department of Conservation said in a statement.