Rescuers help the younger of the two orca.
A female orca has died while another has been successfully refloated after a stranding in Hawke’s Bay.
The orca, thought to be a mother-daughter pair, stranded yesterday but the location is being kept private.
Teams from Whale Rescue responded and were assisted by the Department of Conservation, local iwi, police, Huha NZ Animal Shelter, Fire and Emergency and many locals. said
A Whale Rescue spokesperson said they were hopeful a six-year-old female had made it back out to deeper water and reunited with her pod.
“Had they not reacted when they did, it was possible two precious orca would’ve been lost.”
Samples were taken from the mother for analysis.
While hunting stingrays in shallow sandbanks, individual orcas can make mistakes, get stuck and become stranded at low tide, the spokesperson said.
Family members usually remain in the area and in more cases than not, the victim swims away with high tide or with some assistance from people.
The location of the orca’s body is being kept private.
