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The body of a 14.6m-long juvenile pygmy blue whale, discovered on Red Beach on September 2 has been buried.
The dead whale was found by members of the public. DOC and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust were notified and attended to assess and remove the body.
Tikanga (customs) and kawa (protocols) were followed, including karakia.
The whale remains, approximately 20 tonnes in weight, were craned onto a truck and taken to one of the Trust’s whale urupā (burial sites). Due to its size, the whale was unable to be placed in the Whāngaparāoa urupā so was taken further north to its final resting place.
DOC Tāmaki Makaurau operations manager, Rebecca Rush, says that the whale appeared to have been deceased for several days prior to washing up, which meant that a necropsy was not able to be done. Therefore, the cause of death remains unknown, although Rush says markings on the carcass suggested it had been attacked by orca.
Massey University collected tissue and blubber samples, which will provide further understanding of the ecology and any contaminant burden.
“These results will contribute to the wider knowledge of pygmy blue whales, providing valuable information for DOC’s database,” Rush says.
Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust and DOC thank Massey University professor Karen Stockin DOC’s volunteer Seal Observation Squad, Masons Contractors, and McKenzie Contracting for their support.
DOC encourages people to report whale sightings and strandings by calling 0800 362 468.
