( dpa ) - Twelve pilot whales died in a mass stranding Wednesday at Farewell Spit in New Zealand's Golden Bay, news reports said.
A rescue party was monitoring about 15 more whales were refloated but remained in danger of being stranded on the remote tidal spit at the northern tip of the South Island, the Nelson Evening Mail reported.
The Department of Conservation sent a worker up on a spotter plane to see if any more whales in the bay were at risk of stranding.
The whales ranged in size from calves to mature animals up to six metres long.