
More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped refloat them by lifting them on sheets. A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach to ensure the whales did not strand again. The Department of Conservation praised the efforts by hundreds of people. "It's amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals," a spokesman said. A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place on Monday. New Zealand's Indigenous people consider whales a taonga — a sacred treasure — of cultural significance.
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