Fauna Journal Entry

More Whales Beach in New Zealand (January 28, 2010)

For the second time in a month, a large pod of pilot whales beached in New Zealand. Wildlife officials say 48 whales stranded at Port Levy on South Island. Rescuers managed to float 33 of the whales away from the shallow, muddy inlet and back out to the safety of deeper waters. But the other 15 whales died.

Whale beachings are common in Australia and New Zealand, which the mammals pass while migrating to and from their breeding areas in waters surrounding Antarctica. In most cases, the cause remains a mystery. Some may be linked to the sociable nature of the animals, which often swim in large pods. Sometimes, a pod chases prey too close to shore or tries to protect sick members. Some beachings have been blamed on parasite infections that harm a whale's ability to navigate.

Beachings have also been linked to underwater sonar tests. Sonar sends powerful sound waves pulsing through the ocean that can injure marine mammals' ears or disorient them.