TRYING TO RESCUE WHALES

Volunteers in New Zealand are trying to rescue survivors after more than 400 whales beached themselves.

About 300 whales died overnight at Farewell Spit, on the South Island, in one of the worst such cases the country has seen.

Hundreds of locals and conservation officers have been trying to rescue the survivors since early Friday and formed a human chain to refloat the whales.

 Scientists do not know what exactly causes whales to beach themselves.

But it sometimes happens because the whales are old and sick, injured, or make navigational errors particularly along relaxing beaches.

Andrew Lamason, the departments regional manager, said it was one of the largest mass beachings recorded in New Zealand.

"We managed to float quite a few whales off and there were an awful lot of dead ones in the shallows so it was really, really sad."

"One of the nicest things was we managed to float off a couple [of whales] and they had babies and the babies were following," Ms Wiles added.
In February 2015 about 200 whales beached themselves at the same location of which at least half died.

• María García and Lucía Forero