An aerial drone photo of the whales stranded on the Chatham Islands.It is difficult to stage whale rescues in Chatham Islands due to the waters shark population and the low number of people there (file picture). Photo: Sam Wild

 

More than 200 pilot whales that stranded on the Chatham Islands yesterday have died or had to be put euthanised.

Project Jonah said it was heartbroken to hear of the mass stranding.

The Chatham Islands is known for great white sharks, remote beaches, and a resident population of less than 800 people, making it challenging to deal with strandings, Project Jonah said in a social media post.

Project Jonah said those factors meant refloating the whales that were still alive was not an option.