Whale Of A Time As Orca Pod Thrills At
Bay Of Plenty Beach

Thursday, July 19, 2007
BAY OF PLENTY, NEW ZEALAND - A Mount Maunganui family experienced nature at its finest yesterday when a pod of orca which regularly visits the Bay cruised along Papamoa beach, just metres from the shore.

Phil Josephs and his family spent yesterday evening in their boat opposite Papamoa Domain, mesmerised by eight orca as they "cleaned themselves" on the sand.

Dozens of spectators flocked to the beach for a closer view.

Mr Josephs said at one point the bull in the pod swam directly under their boat - an "unbelievable" experience.

The family members, all keen outdoors people who recently moved to the Bay from the West Coast, first became aware of the orca presence yesterday morning.

Mr Josephs said a friend surfing at Matakana Island phoned him before 8am saying he had spotted the orca pod, which then entered Tauranga Harbour and feasted on stingray.

About 4.30pm, Mr Josephs and his family launched their boat at Pilot Bay, catching up with the pod offshore near Mount Maunganui's Clyde St. They followed the pod to Papamoa, where the creatures seemed to be enjoying lazing on "full bellies".

"We followed them for about an hour, it was really, really choice ... it was such a natural thing.

"They were right in hard against the sand and didn't seem to mind us being there," he said.

Alan Jones, coastal and marine ranger for the Department of Conservation, said the pod of orca was the same pod - identified by the shapes and marks on members' dorsal fins - that regularly visits the Bay of Plenty. The pod has also been sighted in Northland, Kaikoura and the West Coast.

Mr Jones said orca were "intelligent and curious" and would interact with boaties if they chose to but he advised people to keep their distance.

In the past, Mr Jones has seen an orca place its nose on the boarding platform of a boat and has seen photos of orca "surfing" in waves.

Source: The Bay of Plenty Times