Another two common dolphins stranded near the entrance to Tory Channel in the Marlborough Sounds this morning after 13 dolphins were found dead there yesterday.
One of the two dolphins stranded this morning was refloated by local landowners and the other was found dead, the Department of Conservation said.
The dolphins stranded at Okukari Bay on Arapawa Island and are thought to be from a pod of more than 100 common dolphins seen in the bay on Tuesday afternoon, DOC said.
The local landowners found and reported the dead dolphins to the department yesterday morning and two rangers went to the site.
DOC Sounds Operations Manager Dave Hayes said there was no sign of the dead dolphins being sick or injured and it appeared they had died as a result of stranding.
"There was no obvious reason for why they stranded and we don’t know why they did," he said.
"It’s unfortunate when whales and dolphins strand and die but New Zealand is a hotspot for whale and dolphin strandings and they’ve been occurring for thousands of years."
DOC is very grateful to the local landowners for their assistance, Mr Hayes said. As well as refloating the dolphin this morning, they are continuing to keep an eye out for any further dolphin activity, he said.
"Yesterday they helped our rangers with the dead dolphins, including using their digger to help move and bury the dolphins in dunes behind the beach."
DOC said it responds to an average of 85 whale and dolphin strandings a year, most of which involve one animal but also some involving large numbers.
Exactly why whales and dolphins strand is not fully known but factors can include sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator, or extreme weather, the department said.
More than one factor may contribute to a stranding, it said.
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