Also see: Last Orca to Die in the New Zealand Stranding Was Comforted by a Compassionate Bystander

The Southland Times reports today that 9 killer whales have stranded and died in Southern New Zealand.

Early reports of this unusual mortality event (UME) are sketchy, but New Zealand killer whale experts are on their way to investigate. Dr. Ingrid Visser and colleagues from the Orca Research Trust are racing to get to the scene at a remote beach on the southern reaches of the country, near Tautapere, where they may find whales who they know and have studied for years.

It is the equivalent of having an entire family from the J – pod Southern Resident killer whales turn up beached and dead along the Washington coast, it is unheard of and would be a clear sign that some major event occurred. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the U.S., it would classify as an UME because it is “a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response.” This designation is applied worldwide for this type of stranding, so we can expect a fairly thorough investigation.

Strandings of this magnitude are often linked to noise or explosives, from seismic surveys for offshore oil, or by military exercises. Both the military and the oil industry are known to be currently active in the area.

Dr. Visser is returning from sea, but was able to substantiate from photographs that the animals were “in pristine condition” at the time of the stranding. She was consulted in the decision to airlift one of the whales from the area for necropsy in case rough weather sets in before they can examine the whole pod.

Please check the International Dolphin and Whale Stranding Network for updates. You can tweet using #IntlStrandingNetwork.

Also please consider making a donation to the Orca Research Trust, they need your support to get to the bottom of this, and it going to be financially challenging for them to participate in the investigation.