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.
Update: 2026, October 2. During the night many of the pod returned to shore. In total, 15 whales are so far deceased, according to a Ngāi Takoto iwi member.
See post on 24th September titled (Meteor detonates over Tasman Sea west of New Zealand).
.png)
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.
.png)
.png)
.png)