The survivors in a pod of about 50 whales stranded in a bay near Christchurch yesterday appear to have made it safely back to sea, with those monitoring the situation reporting no sign of them this morning.
About 50 pilot whales were left stranded on Port Levy mud flats on Banks Peninsula early yesterday before volunteers and Department of Conservation staff managed to assist 35 of them to refloat and make their way out to sea, but another 15 died.
Kim Muncaster, from marine group Project Jonah, said this morning the last sighting of the surviving whales was about 6.30pm yesterday as they made their way out to sea.
Ms Muncaster said they were swimming strongly and directly out to sea and it was a huge relief to find none had returned to the bay this morning.
She said dozens of people involved in yesterday's rescue had stayed overnight with the dead whales, which would be examined today by scientists before being buried.
There were different reasons for whale strandings, and the scientists would try and throw light on what had occurred this time around.
Ms Muncaster said the muddy bay may have made sonar navigation difficult for the mammals, some may have been sick or they may have been chasing prey.
It was often difficult to save stranded whales as they stuck together by nature when some of the pod became distressed.
Ms Muncaster said the response to yesterday's strandings by volunteers, DOC and the Christchurch City Council was fast, and it was almost certain there would not have been so many survivors if that had not been the case.
