Pygmy blue whale trapped in New Zealand wharf

A baby pygmy blue whale has been freed having been trapped under a wharf in New Zealand. The mammal, approximately 14-15 metres in length, became stranded on Kawau Island, off New Zealand’s North Island, on Monday when local residents spotted it in distress. The whale was freed after part of the dock was removed. It was then guided out of the bay and later spotted swimming in deeper waters. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation described it as a “highly unusual situation” and said its officials are actively monitoring the area this week for potentially more stranded marine life. A subspecies of the world’s largest animal, the existence of pygmy blue whales was first recorded in 1966. While true blue whales can grow up to 33m in length and weigh up to 200 tonnes, pygmies are slightly smaller. They grow to around 24m and weigh about half as much. Read more here: