It's been a sad few days for whales! 105 died in a remote area of Northland and part of a pod at Colville Bay. It's extraordinary how not only DOC staff but all holidaymakers spent all day wetting and talking to the whales awaiting the incoming tide to refloat the survivors.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/n…..dings-doc/

Post edited 8:28 am – 28th December 09 by Me.

Here, the most popular theory put forward for whale strandings is an elderly matriarch or patriarch of the pod will come ashore to die. It's a horrible sight when the rest of the pod follow the old timer ashore. We have a countrywide network that will swing into action when strandings happen, they are not always successful but usually a fair number can be encouraged out to sea.

All whales that come ashore and die in New Zealand are claimed by Maori, and today they officiated at the burial of the 21 beaked whales that died in this stranding. The whales bodies were securely guarded overnight, and today a huge hole was dug in Maori sacred ground for the whales resting place. Prayers were said over the bodies and they were covered in ferns before the earth was replaced over them, a very moving moment.

I am guessing, but when there are strandings in England they call upon Vera Lynn to sing … wait for it … “whale meat again”, don't know where, don't know when, but I know …