Dolphins shepherded out from under Auckland motorway

HANNAH JOHNSTON/Manukau Courier

NEW VISITORS: A pod of dolphins swimming in shallow water near Auckland's southern motorway early this morning.

HANNAH JOHNSTON/Manukau Courier

CLOSE TO MOTORWAY: The pod of 18 bottle nose dolphins.

SPLASHING AROUND: Department of Conservation workers were concerned the dolphins were becoming distressed.

FUN DAY AT SCHOOL: Some of the Wymondley Road School students who were fascinated to see a pod of dolphins just below the school's playing field this morning.

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Something extra special was waiting for Wymondley Road School students when they arrived for class this morning - a pod of 18 dolphins.
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But the Otara children's excitement soon turned to dismay as the dolphins failed to make their way back to the Waitemata Harbour on the outgoing Tamaki River tide.

The bottlenose dolphins became stranded in shallow water just below the school's playing field and only metres from the southern motorway crossing.

Fourteen of the dolphins were on the western side of motorway and four were on the eastern side, not far from the Highbrook Drive offramp.

Conservation Department marine ranger Karl McLeod was concerned for the dolphins' well-being, especially as they were visibly distressed.

An anxious Mr McLeod kept watch on the dolphins in his wetsuit, ready to jump into the water to help them.

"I am reluctant to get in unless it is an emergency as humans in the water will only make them panic even more.

"As long as they are wet and moving they should be okay."

Concerned bystanders knew that if the dolphins did become stranded, rescue would be difficult as the estuary has a deep mud base.

Mr McLeod says bottlenose dolphins are fairly common in New Zealand waters and have been spotted in the Tamaki estuary before.

All were adults except for a calf who was about a year old.

"They come here intentionally to feed but on this occasion they have misjudged the tide in order to get back out to sea."

Motorway traffic was roaring past the stranded pod but Mr McLeod says the noise would not have added stress to the dolphins.

"They are like humans - when their heads are in the water, they can't hear anything much."

The estuary is known to be polluted from industrial run-off but Mr Mcleod says this would not hurt the dolphins.

"If they were in the estuary long-term it would be concerning as they would be passing toxins on to their calves from the food they were eating," he says.

Once the tide came in, the 14 dolphins on the western side of the motorway were reluctant to go under the motorway.

DOC and Papakura Coastguard boats had to shepherd them underneath.

Once they were further up the estuary they started feeding and then headed to the mouth of the harbour.

Mr Mcleod says they will be fine.

Wymondley Road School student Curshla Momoh had always dreamed of seeing a dolphin but her first sighting was nothing like she imagined.

The nine-year-old was aghast to see the 18 dolphins fighting for their lives.

"I'd imaged them doing tricks and swimming in nice blue water," she says.

Many students hadn't seen a dolphin before.

All were delighted to hear the dolphins had caught the outgoing tide and were heading safely "home" to sea.

- © Fairfax NZ News