A pod of more than 30 pilot whales were rescued after being stranded on Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei in northern New Zealand on Sunday, officials say.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) says most were refloated and swam out to sea, but three adults and one calf died. There were no re-strandings overnight.

The rescue effort was spearheaded by the local Māori group, Patuharakeke, who were joined by authorities and other members of the public.

Whale stranding is an unexplained natural phenomenon, with New Zealand holding one of the world’s highest rates of the event.

The whales were refloated by lifting them on sheets.

Patuharakeke remained on the beach through the night to make sure none of the rescued whales were re-stranded.

The DOC – which is responsible with managing stranded marine rescues – called the rescue effort “incredible, with everyone coming together for the whales”.

“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” the department’s operations manager Joel Lauterbach said.

He also thanked all involved parties including Patuharakeke and Project Jonah, which delivers aid to stranded marine mammals, and the “hundreds of members of the public who have assisted so far”.

Whale and dolphin strandings are common in the country. The DOC responds to around 85 incidences a year on average, mostly consisting of single animals.