Rare whales stranded | Northland News | Local News in Northland

The sad stranding of two rare whales on Northland's coast could help scientists better understand their behaviour in the future and give local iwi traditional material to work with.

Two Gray's beaked whales stranded and died, one on Mimiwhangata beach and the other in a nearby bay, on Sunday.

A beachgoer raised the alarm about midday but when Department of Conservation staff arrived it was too late to save the beached mammals.

DoC Biodiversity Marine ranger Leon Candy said officers could do nothing to help the male and female whales They had been moved above the high tide mark so that iwi and scientists could carry out their work yesterday.

Little is known about the Gray's beaked whale. A research scientist from the Auckland University of Technology was using the opportunity to collect information about the whales to help build a portfolio of information.

Research officer and Phd student Emma Beatson took the whale measurements, blubber and muscle samples to be tested.

She was scheduled to examine the whales stomach content as well to get an insight into what they ahd been feasting on.

Ms Beatson said the age of the male whale, about 4.5m long, could only be accurately found by analysing the teeth but given the battle scars covering most of the male's back it indicated he was probably an older whale.

There were recently healed wounds, most likely inflicted by males which have a tusk half way along their jaw, and "cookie cutter" scars where sharks had taken chunks out of the whale's side.

Before samples were taken from the whales they were both blessed by members of Ngatiwai.

Whiria Fletcher said a karakia and named the male Piri before making the first sacred cut.

Clive Stone, of Ngatiwai, said it was sad to see the whales but it was a chance for them and scientists to gather information .

He said the blubber would be melted down and used on carvings to preserve them. The bones would be used for carving.

"This is a traditional cultural harvest. We don't want to waste it and it is also good for scientific research. it's a win-win situation," he said.

The whale remains were buried in nearby sand dunes.

Gray's beaked whale

Beak long and pointed

17-22 rows of teeth

Males have triangular teeth halfway along the jaw

Females reach at least 5.3m and males reach 5.7m