A whale of a time

DELWYN DICKEY

FOR THE second year in a row southern right whales are visiting Rodney's east coast with a juvenile seen by several boaties in Kawau Bay last Thursday.

Spotted first off Algies Bay and Sandspit in the morning, it was then seen in Bon Accord Harbour in the afternoon.

Local boatie Peter Watson was out sailing with dog Charlie aboard on Thursday morning off Algies Bay when he spied what he thought was a log in the water.

Sailing over to investigate he realised it was a whale when it blew air out its blowhole.

Mr Watson called the Conservation Department to confirm his sighting.

"Charlie was up on the bow just mesmerised by it. He wasn't barking – just looking," says Mr Watson who estimates the whale was at least 15 metres long.

The whale followed the boat each time he moved away from it before eventually swimming off, he says.

Conservation Department marine mammal co-ordinator Laura Bowen says this season is looking promising with whale sightings near Dunedin, Southland and Hawke's Bay.

A mother and calf sighted in the Bay of Islands is particularly exciting and unusual for that far north, she says.

While too early in the season to see how this year compares with last year, numbers are certainly up on a few years ago.

Last year, a southern right whale and her calf were seen off the coast at Mahurangi West before spending a couple of days in Omaha Bay.

The whales were feeding in shallow water close to shore, which initially brought concerned calls from people worried they were stranded.

People are reminded not to harass whales by getting too close, says DOC Warkworth Great Barrier Island spokeswoman Liz Maire.

"Apart from keeping at least 200 metres away from a mother and calf, or 50 metres from a single whale, people should also approach parallel to the whale or slightly behind and also realise that there should be no more than three vessels within 300 metres of any marine mammal.

This includes kayaks as well as motorised vessels."

All marine mammals are fully protected and offences carry penalties of up to six months' imprisonment or fines of up to $250,000.

Any southern right whale sightings should be reported immediately on the DOC hotline, 0800 DOCHOT, 0800-362-468.

Fur seals are also back at Muriwai Beach for the "hauling out" season, where they often come ashore to rest, mate or give birth.

One exhausted pup stayed about 100 metres from the lifeguard tower after big swells last week and rested a couple of days before heading back to sea, Muriwai ranger Sonya Veldhuizen says.

More than 50 seals have been counted recently on Oaia Island off Muriwai.

Again, people should stay well clear of resting seals and keep dogs on a lead. Don't get between the seal and the sea either because a seal may go for people if it thinks its escape route is cut off, Ms Veldhuizen says.

"Don't assume it's dead or hurt because often they're just asleep. If people are really concerned about its welfare they should leave it and report it to the ranger station or DOC."

It's an offence to handle or feed fur seals under the Marine Mammals Act.

Gannets appear to be back early at Muriwai for the new breeding season. More than 100 have been counted on the cliff-top sites.

- © Fairfax NZ News