“Heartbreaking Outcome: Northland’s Ripiro Beach Whale Rescue Effort Ends in Second Loss”.

Two days of hundreds of people trying to save two stranded whales on a Northland beach ended yesterday with the death of the second whale.

Volunteers, including locals, emergency service workers, Department of Conservation, Project Jonah, Whale Rescue and other groups, swung into action on Sunday morning after a adult female humpback whale and juvenile – possibly the child of the larger whale – washed ashore on Ripiro Beach, south of Dargaville.

The juvenile whale died on Monday while the adult had to be euthanised yesterday after rescuers were unable to get it back into the Tasman Sea, despite a tremendous effort.

Experts hope the deaths won’t be in vain with samples taken from the mammals used for vital research.

Here are some of the images from the rescue operation from Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham