Project Jonah marine mammal medic Natalia Parra-Sierra pours water on several stranded pilot whales at Farewell Spit on Saturday, February 11.

When whales need help, those in the bright orange vests answer their call.

The vests are worn by registered charity Project Jonah's marine mammal medics.

Medics undergo a day-long training course in the basics of rescue to give them the confidence and skills to take the right steps at a stranding. There's also refresher courses every two years.

SUPPLIED Project Jonah marine mammal medic Britta Hollmann helps prevent a pilot whale from rolling over during the refloat attempt at Farewell Spit on Saturday, February 11.

Cameron Sang and Britta Hollmann are Wellington-based medics who dropped everything to help at the recent mass whale strandings at Farewell Spit.

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Sang has been a medic for more than eight years, but the strandings were only the second time he put his training to the test.

SUPPLIED Marine mammal medics, from left: Cameron Sang, Natalia Parra-Sierra and Britta Hollmann head out to provide first aid to a large pod of stranded whales last weekend.

"We had over 700 whales stranded over those three days.

"We rescued about 400 but there were several pods who were coming in, and several super large pods so it was a lot more complicated, a lot more unpredictable."

Hollmann, who became a medic just over a year ago, was on her first call-up.

MARTIN DE RUYTER Some of the hundreds of people who travelled to Farewell Spit to help Project Jonah and the Department of Conservation at a mass stranding of pilot whales.

She says working alongside so many other people, including those with no training, created a feeling of solidarity.

"They were all awesome. They were very willing to take instruction and guidance and everybody was just there for the common cause, they were just there to help the whales."

Sang says people were also helping each other by making and providing food and sharing resources.

"It's a fairly typical example of community resilience ... as time goes by people are looking at the community needs and what they can do for the overall situation."

It is an emotionally taxing experience, Hollmann says.

"We saved a very high percentage of the animals. On one side you're elated because you've managed to save the certain percentage, but then it's also very traumatic.

"I think that afterwards it hits you. It's hard to explain the elation and then the absolute devastation."

Sang says the hardest part for the Wellington-based medics was logistics and getting to the site.

He and Hollmann were lucky to have supportive and flexible work arrangements that recognised the importance of them going to help, he says.

The Interislander is a Project Jonah partner, so medics could travel between islands for free.

A mother and son team drove down from Whanganui to meet them at the ferry, and another medic flew down from Auckland.

"It can't be overstated the dedication of not only the Project Jonah volunteers and medics but there were a lot of people from other organisations, other people who just dropped everything to go across for the animals. It is a huge commitment to do so," Sang says.

Their backpacker accommodation did not charge them after finding out why they were staying.

Project Jonah relies on volunteers and donations, Sang says. "The volunteers are extra passionate about giving things up for the cause, for the whales, for the dolphins and the like."

Whales "capture people's imaginations and emotions".

Hollmann agrees: "We feel connected somehow."

To learn more visit projectjonah.org.nz.