Stranded Whales
© Bruce Mercer/Waikato TimesRescue Effort: Local Surf Club members and local residents try to float a Grey Beaked Whale back to sea at Sunset beach at Port Waikato.

Four of the five stranded whales at Port Waikato have died this morning while the fifth was successfully refloated to sea.

Shane Edwards, who helped with the rescue effort, said the surviving whale, believed to be a juvenile, was exhausted.

"I haven't done a rescue before so it was good to help out. It didn't look like it had much energy when it swam back out - I think it was scared of the Department of Conservation people."

The whales are believed to be Gray's eaked whales but the species will have to be confirmed by DNA testing.

Conservation Department project manager for biodiversity in the Waikato, Dion Patterson, said the juvenile had little chance of surviving unless it joined with its pod.

"To be fair, I expect that it will find its way back to shore - if it links back with its pod it might be okay."

Conservation Department area manager Matt Cook said the department was alerted to the stranding this morning by a member of the public who discovered them.

The area was not known for whale strandings and Mr Cook was unsure if they animals were separated from a pod nearby.