New footage shows people frantically trying to stop dolphins stranding at Northland beach

December 7, 2018

A pod of around two dozen common dolphins is close to stranding on Tokerau Beach on the Karikari Peninsula.

New footage shows people frantically trying to stop dolphins from stranding at a Northland beach.

Around 24 dolphins are off Tokerau Beach on the Karikari Peninsula, about 20 minutes' drive east of Kaitaia.

Volunteer trying to save dolphin in Northland.

1 NEWS understands the two pods close to stranding are common dolphins.

A large group of people have been in the water all day, trying to stop the dolphins reaching the beach. 

The dolphins were attempting to come ashore at Tokerau Beach on the Karikari Peninsula.

The latest reports are that the dolphins have swum off for the time being, but it is raining and visibility is limited. 

Department of Conservation are at the beach and a spokesperson said earlier today four dolphins were stranded this morning, but were successfully refloated.

"Once they were approximately 20m offshore, they were joined by up to 30 other dolphins and all dolphins are now about 300m offshore swimming parallel to the beach," the spokesperson said.

Shayne Storey, DOC's senior ranger in Kaitaia, told 1 NEWS that bottle nose dolphins are a concern to the rescuers.

"If we do see the bottle nose dolphins rushing in, we will tell everyone to get out of the water because they are coming in to kill these common dolphins, and when they're in that feeding frenzy and hunting they won't care if it’s a human leg or a dolphin body.

"So if we do see them coming we'll tell everyone to get out of the water," he said.

A spokesperson for Project Jonah said they are looking into whether they can provide assistance.

A 15m sperm whale stranded on the same beach on November 23 this year.

The Department of Conversation is on the scene at Tokerau Beach.

In late November, 145 pilot whales died during a mass stranding event on Stewart Island, and a few days later about 50 pilot whales stranded and died in the Chatham Islands.

Massey University’s Dr Karen Stockin talks to Breakfast about the reasons for these strandings.

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