Valiant efforts to save a pod of whales and dolphins ended in tragedy on Sunday night when officials made the decision to euthanise the distressed animals.

Up to 40 false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins stranded at Taylor’s Beach on Mahia Peninsula on Sunday afternoon.

Large numbers of the local community soon gathered to help rescue the pod and managed to help refloat them at 3.30pm.

Hopes were high that the animals would survive but were soon dashed when the entire pod re-stranded at a remote and inaccessible reef point further south.

Department of Conservation staff then assessed the whales and dolphins and believed they had an extremely low chance of surviving.

DOC Gisborne Operations Manager Matt Tong says they have made the difficult decision to euthanise the animals to prevent them suffering overnight.

“This is a sad outcome for these whales, particularly after the successful refloating earlier today. However, they are clearly suffering and euthanising them is the most humane course of action.”

He thanked volunteers, iwi and the local community, who came to the beach to assist with the initial refloating of the whales.

Whale and dolphin strandings are common in New Zealand, he says. Factors can include sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator or extreme weather.

Most of the stranded pod were false killer whales, a species of dolphin, with a small number of bottlenose dolphins.

Nadine Roberts/Stuff