An orca whale that was stranded and died on Patea beach overnight has been buried.
When Debbie Ngarewa-Packer waded from the water at Patea Beach at 1.30am on Monday morning she wept.
While she hoped for a miracle, she knew by the time she returned to the beach later that day it was likely the young female orca she, and many others, had been trying to refloat would be dead.
For hours Ngarewa-Packer, members of the Patea community and Department of Conservation staff had been at the whale’s side pouring water over it and digging a channel, first with spades and then a digger, in the hopes the mammal would free itself with the high tide at 2am on Monday.
But just after midnight the rescue mission was abandoned.
Locals scrambled to rescue an orca whale that stranded at Patea on Sunday night.
“We didn’t like leaving her last night because she was such a beautiful mammal. You could tell she was still young she was perfect.”
Ngarewa-Packer said the experience was “beautiful but horrific”.
“It was pretty surreal at the start. She was screaming, in a really high pitch, looking for her pod,” she said.
“As we were holding her you could hear her breathing and feel her heart it was just amazing. You have this amazing, beautiful and intelligent animal and you’re just willing and want to give it your strength.”
Ngarewa-packer said as you looked in the whale’s eyes you could tell she was spent, that there was nothing left.
“We got out of the water about 1.30am she didn’t have any strength in her. Everyone did what was humanly possible.
“She kept starring at us, we felt terrible leaving her.”
Throughout the whole ordeal Ngarewa-Packer said the crowd had shown utmost respect for the animal and done all they could to save her.
At times it seemed the crowd had even calmed the huge mammal, she said.
“There was none of that selfie nonsense everyone was amazingly respectful. There was nothing but trying to maintain her dignity.
“It was if there was an inter-species exchange.”
