A nine-metre female Baird’s beaked whale is stranded in shallow waters in Te Kouma, south of Coromandel town.
A spokesperson from the Department of Conservation says the tide has now shifted after high tide at around 1pm, but the whale hasn’t moved and remains semi-submerged in the water.
“He was floated, but couldn’t be coaxed out to deeper water.
“At the low tide – about 7pm - we will have a chance to have a closer inspection of the whale, and work out what the options are with iwi."
A member of the public has said the whale has an open wound on its head, while another can be heard in a video saying there was “lots of blood coming out”.
DOC staff are at the scene caring for the animal after being told about whale at about 6.30am on Sunday.
“The whale is energetic and has been attempting to free itself. However, the water is currently not deep enough for it to swim,” a DOC spokesperson said earlier.
One member of the public said there was “a lot of blood coming out". (Source: Supplied)
“We have the situation under control and although we appreciate the public’s support – there have been onlookers at the scene – we do not require any assistance.”
“Beaked whales are usually deep sea/ocean water species, so its arrival in the harbour/inlet is unusual.”
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