15 pilot whales have died after stranding in southern New Zealand, many others were refloated. The whales were found beached at two locations on Farewell Spit and ranged from calves to 20-foot adults.

A conservation worker was sent aboard a plane to monitor the bay for whales at risk of further stranding as Farewell Spit is a real hotspot for mass strandings, particularly of pilot whales. The problem with this particular area is that once refloated it is a difficult place for the whales to escape because of its shape. The bay has a long, shallow topography and the shallow waters make whale sonar almost useless, which is why in the past many pilot whales have returned to the beaches after being refloated. Farewell Spit also blocks the route to the north.

New Zealand has several mass strandings around its coastline each summer, with Conservation Department records showing more than 5,000 whale and dolphin strandings since 1840.