Volunteers at Golden Bay wrapped the whales in wet towels and kept them hydrated, which allows them to survive a few days until they can be coaxed back into the water. Biologists say the pilot whales are so devoted to their “pod” that when one or two wander off and get in trouble near the shore or trapped in a bay, the others come rushing to help – and get stranded by the ebbing tide. (Ross Wearing/Reuters)