Updated 3:30pm: A whale that stranded on a beach north of New Brighton in Christchurch this morning is being re-floated.

Eyewitness Ron has been down at the beach helping out.

He said a digger has been there gouging out a channel from the stranded whale to the water.

Ron said Project Jonah put the whale on a float, and have taken it out to sea past the waves, and they can see it coming up to get air, and swimming.

It was earlier thought to be a pilot whale, but Project Jonah has now identified it as a false killer whale.

It's just the third ever stranding of a false killer whale in the South Island, the last one being in 1984.

Two whales stranded this morning north of New Brighton in Christchurch.

While one died early on, more than 100 people have been at the beach trying to help.

Chch residents are trying to save a pilot whale stranded on Waimairi Beach. Photos: Doug Rhodes. @NewstalkZB pic.twitter.com/wz7IIV3b8z

— Chris Lynch (@lynchinnz) June 4, 2016