2026, October 1. New Zealand, Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe (Ninety Mile Beach), 11km north of Waipapakauri. A mass stranding of ~25 pygmy killer whales. The whales have been refloated due to community rescue efforts. Updates to follow, as there is a high risk of a restranding.
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Image Credit: Hirikia
Murray
Also, a second pygmy right whale stranding within 15 days: 2026, October 1 (examined). New Zealand (location, will update). A fully grown female pygmy right whale (> 5.0 metres in length) stranded and died. She was pregnant with an early-term foetus. Finding an adult female carrying an early-term embryo is exceptionally rare, as reproductive and gestation timelines for this species remain largely unknown due to the lack of live observations and sample opportunities.
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