Hundreds of whales in second New Zealand stranding able to swim free

Volunteers look after a pod of stranded pilot whales as they prepare to refloat them after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand conservation authorities said 240 pilot whales that were stranded overnight at a remote bay which only days earlier had a larger beaching refloated themselves on Sunday and were swimming offshore.

"We had 240 whales strand yesterday in the afternoon and we were fearful we were going to end up with 240 dead whales this morning," Herb Christophers, a Department of Conservation spokesman said.