#SavetheWhales say Facebook users

Whale rescuers were cautiously optimistic on Sunday that the current wave of mass beachings in New Zealand was over. Hundreds of whales have died after being stranded ashore since early Friday. It started with a pod of 416 whales found stranded on the 26-kilometre Farewell Spit, with hundreds more following them over the weekend.

The shallow, sweeping spit is believed to interfere with the whales’ navigation systems causing regular scenes of mass strandings.

The whales now have refloated themselves and returned to sea.

#SaveTheWhales - People shared updates about the condition of the whales and encouraged those who took time ti help the whales. It also started a discussion on how human actions affected marine life.

Amanda English: “People coming together for an amazing cause. Much love to all that helped over the weekend. You are amazing people. #savethewhales #lovenewzealand #onelove”

Gina Sires: “This is beyond sad. The question, is why such a large number are beaching? They beach themselves for a reason..What is going on in the ocean and do we have something to do with that?”

John Emmett O’sullivan: “Great stuff, planting trees is on par with saving our whale population.”

Reno Thompson: “Nature is telling us all something. This is not normal. Excuse, after excuse, after excuse, after excuse. This is not normal.”

Mike Loyd: “It’s because of all of the chemical weapons that the U.S. and some other nations have dumped into the oceans. Google it... Alarming. Those canisters have to be seeping deadly chemicals by now. This has been going on for decades. It’s no wonder sea life is dying. The U.S. is the biggest contributer of chemical weapons dumping into the oceans.”

Ingrid Widenhoefer: “The oceans are so polluted. Global warming is happening at an alarming rate. In Japan they are killing dolphins. Human demand of fish have caused other species to be extincted.”

Mike N Nancy: “This is tragic. I think it would not be unreasonable to point a finger at the US Navy with its testing of submarine sonar as well as other listing platforms that are in use. The US Navy is not the only ones testing very sophisticated sound systems that confuse these beautiful animals and are capable of causing such severe pain they simply want to die. Other countries are testing systems also.”

Richard Lobb: “Whale strandings are not unusual on this particular beach. It is kind of a mud flat, and the gentle slope may confuse the whales’ sonar and ability to sense depth.”

Tommy Waldrep: “There is also sound pollution, as well like submarine,sonar and our government is making noise in our ocean.Noise from all the ships as well as the big tankers and such like that. It has been proven that our oceans are so noisy! That may have something to do with it as well! Our world is a mess and all others will have to pay for it, human and animals, until we change as a whole. Thanks to the people, that help the hundred they saved!

Michelle Levasseur: “Heart-breaking, this is a wake up call for our planetary system, so off-balanced, people too...we as human beings have power to stand up together to make this a beautiful place to live for us and all creatures/all living beings on this planet ߌ? before it’s to late! This is from a combination of things ....Enough is enough, this sad sad message from these whales is loud and clear, now its time to finally wake up and see the big picture.”

Alan Bauerle: “Hard to believe it is not intentional when there are 650 of them over two full days, and they obviously know more about where to swim or not than we ever will... and also hard to reason why we should thwart their intentions... but rational or not, I hope they swim away after getting a bit of help.”

Arron Davis Sr.: “Just got a little up close and personal with some Humpback Whales and a movie came to mind.

The movie is 31 years old but it talks about whales becoming extinct. Art imitating reality. I feel a responsibility to do something about it do you? That is one of the reasons I got into Aquaponics. To help reduce my consumption on fish in the wild.

Pollution and over consumption needs to be put in check before we go over the tipping point of no return.”