Gigantic Story

It really was a whale of a tale – the day (March 18) the 60 sperm whales were driven ashore at the east end of Okitu Beach, Wainui. The cause of the apparent suicide is still unknown, but popular theory has it that the electrical storm in the early morning upset the whales' "sonar system", they panicked, drove themselves into shallow water, and were left on shore by the receding tide.

Marie Andrew, standing alongside one of the whales, shows just how big the mammals were.

A view of part of the beach with the stranded whales caught in the shallow water.

Bull-dozers were used to push and haul the dead whales into their mass grave

Thousands of people came to see the whales.

Whales have no teeth as such. Thousands of "combs"are used to strain plankton out of the water for feeding.

A bull-dozer pushing one of the whales.

M. O. W. men are dwarfed by the size of the grave, and two of the whales about to be buried. The Ministry of Works people had to work fast on the enormous task of burying the mammals before they created a health hazard.

A bull-dozer working on the site indicates the size of the hole needed to dispose of the whales. All in all a sad freak of nature.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 190 : April 22, 1970

Gigantic Story