Stranded Waipu Whale Buried By Local Iwi

Hail and whipping westerlies stopped the crew of Iwi practitioners recovering bone from a Brydes whale that stranded just north of the Waipu Surf club earlier this week (Monday 1 Oct).

Stranding coordinator, Te Tui Hoterene says the conditions were not safe for a crew to work in, and Ngatiwai Trust Board Resource Management Unit took advice from site manager, volunteer David Milner that conditions were too bad for the crew to deal with.

“The strong winds are whipping up the sand and our workers would be prone to eye infections with grit in their eyes. Wearing goggles raises the risk of fogging and injury from the sharp flensing blades,” Ms Hoterene says.

The crew recovered the skull and tail bones of the whale when a window of clear weather opened on Tuesday.

“Crew members spent yesterday monitoring weather patterns and working on safety contingency plans for the crew,” says Ms Shortland.

“Based on the latest Met office readings, the weather will be clear enough to break down the whale for burial.

“The crew will be glad to get home in time for dinner this evening (Thursday 4 Oct),” she says.

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