Hubbard said she noticed three other people standing on the beach looking out to sea, and realised they were watching a whale that was “real close” to the shore.
The whale appeared injured and died shortly after beaching. The Department of Conservation and iwi are collaborating to arrange the whale’s burial.
It was the first time she had ever seen a whale.
“It was exciting and sad at the same time because I was wondering what to do. How do we get it back out to sea?”
Pilot whales are one of the largest members of the dolphin family, but they are treated as whales for the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations.
They are named pilot whales because it is thought each pod follows a “pilot” in the group.
While females can live to about 60 years, males typically live between 35 and 45 years.
DoC encourages members of the public to report sightings of whales to the conservation hotline at 0800 362 468, or report a sighting online.
“Reports of sightings are always valuable, and help increase our knowledge of whale distribution and movements around New Zealand.”