There have been reports of a mass stranding of whales on Farewell Spit, near Golden Bay.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) confirmed to Newshub they have received reports at around 6pm on Thursday of potentially more than 30 whales stranded.
DoC said the whales are likely to be pilot whales, which despite their name are one of the largest members of the dolphin family.
"We have rangers on the way to investigate but due to the remote location, they will not arrive until later this evening. Until we have staff on-site, we are not able to confirm any details," DoC Takaka Operations Manager Dave Winterburn said.
Project Jonah, a volunteer-run marine mammal assistance organisation, said it had received reports of a potential mass stranding at Farewell Spit earlier on Thursday. They said they are advising local medics directly as the situation unfolds and its response plan develops.
Pilot whales regularly get stranded on Farewell Spit. Most recently, 49 whales beached themselves on the spit on February 21.
