A stretch of sand in New Zealand was the scene of both tragedy and triumph this weekend as rescuers raced to save hundreds of stranded pilot whales after 300 others died in one of the countrys largest beaching events.

On Thursday, the New Zealand Department of Conservation discovered more than 400 whales stranded on the South Islands Farewell Spit, more than half of them already dead. Conservation officials and the animal welfare group Project Jonah spearheaded a mass refloating to rescue the whales that were still alive and guide them back to the water.

But over the following days, hundreds more whales from a different pod also became stranded. More than 500 volunteers rushed to save them as well.

All told, nearly 700 whales washed up on Farewell Spit in what is now the third-largest whale stranding since data collection began in the 1800s, and the largest ever since 1985, the Department of Conservation said. Officials declared almost 350 whales dead.

This post contains images and descriptions of dead whales that may disturb some readers.