One carcass is floating north of the Kaikoura coast ... and the other washed ashore on Marfells Beach.
Experts are clutching at straws to figure out why the animals died, with no real history of deaths in the area.
DOC Marine Species and Threats Technical Advisor Dave Lundquist says the Kaikoura quake had a significant impact on the coastal area.
He says the changes to the ecosystem as a result of the quakes may have caused problems such as meaning less food available.
Another option is that the unusual weather patterns last summer, which may have altered the whales' environment.
