In February 2021 a human chain of 150 volunteers held hands and slowly waded into the sea.
Their aim was to stop what remained of a pod of long-finned pilot whales from re-stranding themselves at Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island.
Their efforts that day were rewarded, with 38 of the 49 that had become stranded guided back out into the ocean.
The day has been marked in a new book called Stranded, written by Linda Jane Keegan and illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.
It tells the story from the point of view of one of the stranded whales, and includes useful panels of information about whales and how to help them in a stranding.
Linda and Isobel talk to Kathryn about the motivation for the book.
Photo: Supplied
