Efforts to refloat 15 pilot whales which survived a mass stranding in the Far North have been postponed until Saturday morning.
Fifty-eight whales were found at the remote Karikari Beach on Friday morning by a member of the public.
The Department of Conservation says it was unable to refloat the surviving mammals on the high tide and staff will try again at first light.
The department is working with local iwi to appropriately dispose of the dead whales.
It says 200 pilot whales stranded at the same beach several years ago.
