A 12 metre sperm whale that washed up on Papamoa Beach yesterday is to be buried at the high tide mark this morning.
Department of Conservation officials and local iwi are using two diggers to bury the whale at the beach about 100 metres west of the Papamoa campground this morning.
The 12 metre sperm whale was buried at the beach today. Photos and video: Tracy Hardy.
The whale washed ashore on Papamoa Beach near Stella Avenue about 6pm last night and remained under guard until 7am this morning.
DOC Ranger Brad Angus says DOC has been working with iwi this morning to drag it up the beach and bury it.
'Iwi are interested in removing the jaw bone so it will be removed and it will go to iwi.”
Brad says at 12 metres the whale is mature, though he is not sure of the exact age.
'It has been in the water dead for some time – at least a week to a couple of weeks. It is in the later stages of decomposition.”
Brad says two diggers will dig to at least four metres to bury the whale. He says it will take some months to decompose fully.
Matire Duncan from Nga Potiki iwi says iwi performed a blessing of the whale about 7.45am today.
'We have had security here overnight as well because in the past when there have been whale strandings, people have been known to come and take the jaw bone without permission.”
Matire says the jaw bone and ivory teeth will be given to the iwi and goes through decomposition before it will be used for carving.
'We class whales as parents of the sea – they look after our ocean.
'It seems appropriate the whale stranded right in front of these hills – the mother, father and baby whale.”
Brad says DOC recieved reports of it dead from Coastguard last week north of Alderman Islands.
Diggers work to remove sand down to at least four metres to bury the whale.
DOC Tauranga Duty Officer Jeff Miham says DOC then received calls about the sperm whale carcass near Mayor Island at the weekend and from there it has travelled along the coastline to Papamoa.
At about 4pm yesterday the whale was spotted about 500 metres off the coast of Papamoa Beach Road near Stella Place.
Police received a call reporting a yacht had capsized and contacted Papamoa Surf Lifeguards who headed out on an IRB.
Papamoa Surf Lifeguards Matt Strange, 19, and Hamish Smith, 18, went out in the inflatable in what they say was rough conditions after spotting the whale from shore.
'There was a small black patch of skin and all of the rest was white,” says Matt.
People gathered to watch the burial of the sperm whale at Papamoa Beach today.
By 6pm the sperm whale carcass had washed ashore.
Jeff says security was stationed at the beach overnight until 7am today to ensure the whale carcass remained on the beach and was not tampered with.
Crowds of people gathered at the beach this morning to watch as the whale was transported to the high tide mark and buried.
Napier resident Julia Probert, who is visiting the region, says she is impressed with the gentle nature of the people involved in the burial and says it has been treated with respect.
'The graders are so gentle moving the whale. It gives you tingles.
'I think they have shown great respect in moving and burying the whale.”
Photo by Tracey Ebdon.
Photo by Tracey Ebdon.
Photo by Tracey Ebdon.
Photo by Tracey Ebdon.
Photo by Tracey Ebdon.
11 comments
why iwi
Posted on 05-02-2013 12:04 | By The Big Tomatosaurus
Why should local iwi get the jawbone? There are other carvers who also use whale jawbone who will miss out on this extravaganza due to their race. Either every kiwi gets access to the jawbone or nobody gets it. To favour one race, who incidentally have an appalling record in conservation (Moriori, Moa, Huia etc), is racist and has no place in a democracy.
What Next
Posted on 05-02-2013 12:19 | By firemansam
Now the Iwi think they own the animals of the sea a (whale) the were here well before iwi, and to make a statement the other people have taken the jaw bone before with out asking who gives them the right to the jaw bone, as they say they will use it for carving and sell them, ummm ust out right GREDDY.
Of course...
Posted on 05-02-2013 13:17 | By penguin
...iwi will be footing the bill for the burial - yeah right!
OMG 2 MANY HATERS
Posted on 05-02-2013 14:04 | By joejoe
OMG 2 MANY HATERS UP IN HERE!!!
Posted on 05-02-2013 14:19 | By charob
no JOEJOE just people that hate one rule for Iwi. I thought we were one people and no racism in New zealand. What is the difference between a whale being washed up on the beach and normal fish.
Truth
Posted on 05-02-2013 14:21 | By Jitter
I don't agree that all those people previously commenting are "haters", they are just stating what is fact.
@ joejoe
Posted on 05-02-2013 16:11 | By Major Think
Try living as we non-maori do...being racially discriminated against every day. Obviously you are one of the privileged race and do not approve of the downtrodden speaking out. BTW has any one of us said anything that is not true? Maybe you can tell us why iwi should get first dibs at a whale carcass? The way maori go on and on about spiritual connections with animals and plants and rivers etc, I'd have thought the whale spirit would not really like having its jaw hacked out. What do you think joejoe?
@ Joejoe
Posted on 05-02-2013 16:15 | By Captain Sensible
Joejoe, maybe then you can explain to us non-maori second class citizens why maori have first rights to a dead whale. Why are maori also claiming the radio frequencies for the upcoming 4G phone network? Do you think you are better and more deserving than other kiwis who happen to be non-maori?
newsflash for joejoe
Posted on 05-02-2013 16:20 | By The Big Tomatosaurus
My ancestors were whalers in NZ before the treaty was signed. So why are my ancestors excluded from their traditional prey, while iwi have a free-for-all on the jawbone? That, joejoe, is racist and it is happening right here in apartheid NZ.
So when will it end??
Posted on 05-02-2013 17:19 | By Sambo
and how much more can one put up with??,most "Kiwis" are united in their opposition to reverse racism, so if we are a democratic country and 51% are over all this, why can we just say enough is enough, and it shows how much strength Iwi have when a wizzened up crone can railroad her way over Marae protocol tomorrow, huh beaten up by an old lady, so how come we get dictated too!!!!.
Silly me
Posted on 06-02-2013 14:30 | By WSTAKL
thinking this article was about a whale being buried. I notice the usual suspects enforcing their hate speech. And to the person whose ancestors were whalers.....that is nothing to be proud of, so just as well you don't get a piece of the jaw bone! Happy Waitangi Day people! Kia Kaha
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.