@nzherald: They tragically could not save them all, but the efforts of hundreds of ordinary Kiwis made a massive impact today 💪 ♥️ Hundreds of volunteers formed a “human wall” and used banging noises to refloat about 40 pilot whales after a mass stranding on Ruakākā Beach in Northland. The whales became stranded around 5.30pm as members of the public including, families with young children, ran to the beach and attempted to keep the animals wet as the tide retreated. One witness, who described the size of the crowd as “phenomenal”, told the Herald Project Jonah volunteers asked volunteers to form a wall and make banging noises to keep the whales from coming back to shore. Four of the whales succumbed on the beach, however, the rest have been successfully refloated. 📹 Liv Patu / Shania Christie / Sarah Curtis / Hayden Woodward