Pod of Nine Killer Whales Found Dead on New Zealand Beach

A pod of nine killer whales was found dead on a Southern New Zealand coast, the Department of Conservation announced Wednesday.

The whales were found at Blue Cliffs beach near Tuatapere, NZ.

"DOC can confirm that all of the animals were identified as orca or killer whales. There were nine animals in total - eight adults and one juvenile," DOC said in a news release. "All of the animals died at the scene and DOC recovered some DNA samples and the carcass of one animal for necropsy."

The mass stranding will have a huge impact on the population of killer whales in the area. About 200 orcas are believed to live near the New Zealand coast.

Mass stranding of pilot whales is common in New Zealand. But, finding killer whales beached is an unusual event. DOC said that conservationists aren't sure why the whales swam ashore.

"DOC is yet to confirm details of a possible recovery and/or burial of the animals at the site as it is an offence to remove any part of the whales from the beach," according to a statement released by the agency.

Dr. Ingrid Visser and colleagues from the Orca Research Trust have traveled to the site to find the reason behind the death of the marine mammals, according to seattlepi.com.

Killer whales are one of the largest dolphins in the world. They have distinctive white and black colors and are known to be highly intelligent, National Geographic says.

According to the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, killer whales are highly social animals and live in groups or 'pods.'

These mammals are threatened by vessel traffic and pollution.