Up to 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in a remote part of New Zealand. The stranding was discovered by a hiker last Saturday on Stewart Island, 30km off the southern coast of South Island. Half were already dead and the authorities yesterday said they decided to euthanise dozens that lay stricken on the shore because of their deteriorating condition and the remote, hard-to-access location. Mr Ren Leppens, the Department of Conservation's operations manager on Stewart Island, said the likelihood of successfully refloating the remaining whales was very low.