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A school group assists Project Jonah staff to care for a stranded pilot whale after a large pod of whales were stranded in Cape Palliser (AFP/Getty)

A pod of 43 pilot whales is believed to have died following a mass stranding along a remote stretch of coastline on New Zealand 's North Island.

The whales were discovered near Cape Palliser on Thursday morning, but all surviving animals died throughout the day despite efforts by rescuers.

Responders from the Department of Conservation, charity Project Jonah, and local Māori tribes faced challenging conditions due to powerful swells and sharp rocks.

Conservation officials are working alongside local iwi to manage the burial of the whales, which are regarded as taonga, a term for highly prized heritage.

While mass pilot whale strandings frequently occur during New Zealand's summer as whales follow food inshore, the exact causes of such events remain unclear.

In full Dozens of pilot whales die in mass…