Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Kia Ora
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and that there are some features you can't use or read.

We are an active community of worldwide senior members participating in chat, politics, travel, health, blogging, graphics, computer issues & help, book club, literature & poetry, finance discussions, recipe exchange and much more. Also, as a member you will be able to access member only sections, many features, send personal messages, make new friends, etc.

Registration is simple, fast and completely free. Why not register today and become a part of the group. Registration button at the very top left of the page.

Thank you for stopping by.

Join our community!

In case of difficulty, email worldwideseniors.org@gmail.com.
If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Orcas hang out for bit of r&r
Topic Started: Dec 14 2006, 05:10 PM (56 Views)
Kahu
Member Avatar

Orcas hang out for bit of r&r
14 December 2006


It cannot be due to the supposed summer weather, but killer whales have made Wellington Harbour and the southern bays a holiday home of sorts to "chill out" in. The pod of at least five orcas has been seen in several places around Wellington waters, including Oriental Bay, Evans Bay and the harbour entrance.

Peter Simpson, of the Conservation Department, said orcas visited up to three or four times a year and it was likely the latest pod had come in to escape some of the stormy swells that had lashed the region.

"Who knows, maybe they're fed up with being tossed around like in a washing machine and they've come into the harbour to chill out."

Te Papa's Anton van Helden said he had received numerous reports of the pod.

"Sometimes they come into the harbour for a few hours, other times they hang about for a few days. There's no pattern to their movements, they just do as they please." He said other marine mammals occasionally visited the harbour. "We're not short on whales visiting our port. In the past we've had pigmy, sperm, humpback whales and a bunch of other species."

South Coast resident Grant Fahey said he had a close encounter with orcas while boating off Island Bay last month.

While watching three whales in the distance, he saw two orcas heading his way. "Then they dipped under the boat like I was some kind of nuisance. My boat is six metres in length and these two were easily bigger than it."


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Deleted User
Deleted User

It must be a sight to see.

I was in whale watching boats twice but never saw one.
Just in aquariums.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kahu
Member Avatar

Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island is our best whale watching centre, right on the migration route up to Tonga. Marineland in Napier, now has only one dolphin left, and the government conservation department has regulated that wild dolphins are not to be kept in captivity. The local population of Napier are not very happy about it as they'll be left with the facilities but no dolphins to display to the public, when the last dies.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Pets & Wildlife · Next Topic »
Add Reply