Fifty-eight pilot whales died after they were washed onto an isolated beach in northern New Zealand.

Rescue volunteers were preparing to make a fresh attempt to refloat 15 other whales which weigh up to 1,500 kgs each.

They will be using machinery including a crane and transporter, said Department of Conservation manager Mike Davies.

The 73 pilot whales probably stranded during the night on remote Karikari Beach which is why so many died before they were discovered, said another official.

New Zealand frequently sees several mass whale strandings around its coastline, mainly each summer as whales pass by on their migration to and from Antarctic waters. Scientists have not been able to determine why whales become stranded.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.