Orca Spotted Off Bay View

Monday, June 4, 2007
HASTINGS, NEW ZEALAND - Saturday-morning strollers on Westshore Beach were astounded to see a pod of orca (killer whales) cruising close to shore.

Department of Conservation (DOC) programme manager John Adams was the duty officer on Saturday when the report came in from a member of the public.

"The initial report was that one might have been caught in a set line just out from Bayview, but that wasn't the case," he said.

There were up to eight whales, with some young and older animals hanging back further off shore.

The ones that ventured in were probably just looking for food, particularly their favourite - stingrays.

Mr Adams believed they were chasing schools of fish while moving north.

He said it was uncommon for orca to come so close to shore. One onlooker said she saw the whales from 11am to noon in the stretch of water between Bay View and the Hawke's Bay Airport.

She estimated the whales came within 20m of shore, but couldn't say how many there were.

"It was pretty exciting, I've never seen whales before."

Source: Hawke's Bay Today