Crowd gathers on New Zealand beach after stranded whale dies / Photo: Sanka VIDANAGAMA - AFP
-
Genesio replaces Beye as Marseille boss
-
Thousands rush to get tickets for Bayeux Tapestry's UK show
-
Catholic society defies Vatican again by ordaining new bishops
-
Chinese firm sells hyper-real, 'always loyal' humanoid robots
-
Breakaway Catholic society defies Vatican again by ordaining bishops
-
World's oceans break June heat record: EU monitor
-
Venezuelans search, suffer one week after deadly quakes
-
China imposes 'national security' rules on overseas investments
-
Asian stocks mostly up as traders eye crucial US jobs data
-
'Nothing left except death': Myanmar families grieve huge war toll
-
Ronaldo and Modric struggle to defy Father Time at World Cup
-
England face DR Congo hurdle, USA prepare for World Cup moment in spotlight
-
The secret lives of Ukraine's deep-strike drone team
-
Myanmar mourns as post-coup conflict death toll hits 100,000
-
NATO project tests perennial grass to clean Ukraine's war-hit soil
-
Vietnam unveils 'baby bonus' after scrapping two-child policy
-
Duffy returns for New Zealand against West Indies
-
Majestic Olise raises France to another level at World Cup
-
Mbappe dazzles as France march on at World Cup; Norway, Mexico advance
-
Mexico see off Ecuador to break 40-year World Cup curse
-
US govt lifts restrictions on powerful AI models, Anthropic says
-
'My dream is broken': Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
-
Trump earned over $1 bn from crypto ventures in 2025
-
Indian sailors fear returning to Gulf after Middle East war
-
The Afghan women farmers keeping their village alive
-
Fear and anger brew inside Meta amid AI frenzy
-
Asian stocks fluctuate as traders eye crucial US jobs data
-
After 250 years, the 'American dream' is tarnished but alive
-
Madison Square Garden: from Nazis to Knicks, and now... Taylor's wedding?
-
'I'm going to stay calm': 48 hours under the rubble in Venezuela
-
'Love it': Wimbledon's military stewards tradition turns 80
-
Breakaway Catholic sect defies Vatican again by ordaining bishops
-
Venezuela quake survivors cherish kindness of strangers
-
Mexico v Ecuador World Cup game delayed by one hour: FIFA
-
US deports first migrant to Pacific nation Palau
-
Talks in Qatar after US-Iran deal: What we know
-
Potter admits Sweden couldn't live with France in World Cup defeat
-
BioLargo Engineering Unit Awarded $1.4 Million in U.S. Air Force Environmental Contract Renewals
-
Lennys Grill & Subs Launches Veteran Franchise Program to Support Military Veterans in Business Ownership
-
Who Does Gender Affirming Surgery Without a Weight Limit?
-
PersonalHour Expands Manufacturing and Fulfillment Operations Across the United States
-
State Licensed Cannabis Companies Move To Intervene In MMJ's D.C. Circuit Litigation To Stop Rescheduling
-
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Announces Transaction in Own Shares - July 01
-
Tuchel refuses to dampen England World Cup expectations
-
US coach dismisses European jinx ahead of Bosnia clash
-
Mbappe hails unity as France rally around Deschamps at World Cup
-
World Bank to phase out lending to China by 2031
-
Mbappe fires France into World Cup last 16, Norway advance
-
Mbappe scores twice as France breeze past Sweden into World Cup last 16
-
Belgium fully fit ahead of Senegal tie at World Cup, says Garcia
Crowd gathers on New Zealand beach after stranded whale dies
Scores of people gathered on a New Zealand beach on Monday as a young whale that died in a rare stranding was pulled to shore.
The seven-metre (23-foot) fin whale died in the early hours after beaching on an estuary sandbank near the Christchurch suburb of Moncks Bay, the conservation department said.
The coast guard used an earthmover to lift the whale's body out of the water.
A crowd of people perched on boulders at the edge of the beach, some taking pictures of the scene.
"A lot of people are concerned. Whales are quite a point of fascination for people, especially a whale this big being so close to the city," Daren Grover of conservation group Project Jonah told Radio New Zealand.
Fin whales can grow up to 26 metres (85 feet) long and weigh up to 80 tonnes.
Conservationists have recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings in New Zealand since 1840 but they rarely swim so close to Christchurch.
"It is unusual for a whale to come into the estuary and we do not know why this one has done so," conservation department operations manager Andy Thompson said.
L.Davis--AMWN
