HMT-Roger

Thirty-two pilot whales were confirmed dead today as the lives of 34 others hung in the balance after a mass stranding on tidal flats off New Zealand's South Island.

The remote location of the stranding meant rescuers were unable to help the marine mammals and their survival will depend on the tide, the Department of Conservation's area manager, John Mason, told the Nelson Mail.

Mason said the whales, up to five meters long, were stranded on the tidal flats at the tip of Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, located nearly three kilometers offshore at the northern end of South Island.

"There's really nothing we can do for them so we just have to hope that they manage to get out by themselves," Mason added.

Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wor...-1226196098430