A juvenile fin whale stranded at Moncks Bay in Christchurch, New Zealand, has died, with recovery operations underway. Last Sunday, a pod of false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins were euthanised after becoming stranded twice on a reef near Māhia.
An extremely rare Spade-toothed Beaked Whale Mesoplodon traversii washed ashore in Otago, providing the first chance to dissect and study such a specimen, with DNA analysis underway to confirm its species.
Caulerpa brachypus, which can spread rapidly and create dense mats, was found in July in Blind Bay and Tryphena Harbour. This was the first time the pest species had been detected in New Zealand.
A massive rescue effort took place on Tuesday afternoon that lasted until sunset after five whales were discovered marooned on the shores of the west coast beach. The whales were discovered dead the morning after massive efforts by locals to save them.
Test results show the bloom was almost certainly to blame for mass deaths of kina as well as crayfish, starfish and sea cucumber which washed ashore at Hardinge Rd, including Sandy Beach, and on a small part of Westshore Beach eight days ago.
The dial will be turned up even more on the summer heat at the start of next week.
School out for Roxburgh pupils as third day of thunderstorms looms.
Testing has revealed black algae washing on Waiheke shores is toxic. “Currently the algal bloom on some Waiheke beaches could lead to skin or eye irritation if you are in contact with the water,” said Dr David Sinclair, Te Whatu Ora’s Northern Region medical officer of health.
The balmy first three months of 2018 has given New Zealand its hottest recorded start to a year, with mean temperatures soaring to 1.75C above average over the period.
The whale had earlier been spotted stranded.
A predicted heatwave has public health officials warning people in Otago and Southland.
A State of Emergency was declared in Ngongotaha and the Rotorua Lakes Council was forced to activate its Emergency Operations Centre as wet weather forced evacuations and doused most of the country in large volumes of rain..
Power outages have been reported in several Rotorua suburbs.
Rangers discovered the whale on Saturday, the cause of death is unknown.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is taking tests and awaiting results from a likely algal bloom spreading across the sea off the Hawke's Bay coast. Coastwatchers say the reddish-brown discolouration has been growing over several weeks – visitors to the Bluff Hill lookout reported what may have been its early signs on January 31, when it appeared to be coming from a ship apparently circling at sea off the Port of Napier.
Coroner warning after heat-related death.
And the next few days show no signs of letting up.
A lightning strike traumatises family and killed a family dog in Te Puke.
Marine heatwaves are growing longer, stronger and more frequent thanks to climate change.
Otago University's Marine Science Professor Steve King said the summer stranding is nothing to be alarmed about. "It's a natural cycle of the pelagic food where climate change is happening but it is mostly manifested in the warm water conditions we are seeing right now."
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