A whale of a time for the dolphins

One of the mysteries of the ocean is that wild dolphins sometimes seek contact with humans and seem to enjoy the interaction, says the Nelson Mail in an editorial. It is not so surprising, perhaps, that they chase boats, riding the bow wave or the wake. That looks like a fun way to show off their power and grace. One New Zealand dolphin, Pelorus Jack, became so famous for it that he - or she - drew visitors from overseas to watch him - or - her accompany ships from Pelorus Sound through Admiralty Bay to French Pass, or the other way.

This Risso's dolphin kept it up for 24 years before vanishing in 1912, victim of an unknown fate and forever unsexed, though made male by the choice of name bestowed on him by his human admirers. But thousands of other dolphins have entertained passengers and crews on craft of all sizes, and continue to do so, without coming to public notice because though there's something fantastic in what they do, it's really nothing unusual. It's a fair bet that there were some such encounters around Nelson's coastline today.

Interest steps up a notch when a dolphin decides to forego open waters to mingle with swimmers at the beach. There are quite a few examples of this too, the most notable New Zealand case being that of Opo, a young female bottlenose dolphin that put the Northland town of Oponini on the map between June 1955 and March 1956. Such was her - appeal she would juggle beach balls or beer bottles on her snout, and preferred being with children that she drew hordes of holidaymakers and quickly achieved international fame.

Sadly, Opo was found dead the day after the government of the day passed a special order in council protecting her. Who knows how big the story would have grown had she lived out a normal lifespan? Closer to home, in the 1980s a dolphin nicknamed Old Scarry became a favourite with swimmers at Onekaka in Golden Bay, and many of them who got into the water with her over the six summers that she showed up reported it to be a magical experience. Definitely a female - the Department of Conservation had her checked out - she wasn't playful, like Opo, but would come right up to swimmers, until one day she swam away and didn't come back.

Now it is happening again. Mahia, in northern Hawke's Bay, has its own resident bottlenose dolphin, Moko, who turned up at Easter 2007 and has been delighting locals and visitors ever since. More in the Opo than the Old Scarry mould, Moko takes items such as boogie boards and rugby balls out to sea, never to be seen again, and lately has been bringing fish to people - kahawai, gurnard and even seahorses. Perhaps in memory of Opo or possibly because of the playful antics, Moko has been designated female by DOC. But is she a he?

A report this week suggests that Moko is a male. Resident Bill Shortt, the local expert, said his suspicions were aroused when he noticed that if a couple were playing with the dolphin in deeper water, it would try hard to prevent the female from returning to the boat. "In fact, he can become very amorous with females," Mr Shortt said. Though it's quite difficult to tell, Mr Shortt says he now has visual confirmation. DOC is open-minded, saying that it will happily correct its website when it has evidence of the mistake. And what of Moko? Given the dolphin's apparent proclivities, can Mahia look forward to a resident mermaid? That really would be a drawcard.

- © Fairfax NZ News