Six beached whales were successfully refloated off New Zealand Tuesday, rescuers said, after a spate of mass strandings in recent days that resulted in the deaths of dozens of the marine mammals. Wildlife rangers and volunteers used pontoons to float the killer pygmy whales—part of a group of 12 found beached in the country’s far north on Sunday—and take them about 400 meters offshore. “We are hopeful that the six whales that have been refloated will remain at sea,” the Department of Conservation department said in a statement, adding that another two whales were euthanized after continually restranding.

Rescuers save six stranded whales. (2018, November 28). Manila Standard, p. B3.