LIFESTYLER
May 28 2013
Kaipara
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P12–13
Fishers lauded in orca rescue by Paul Campbell
Kaipara fishermen have been praised as environmental heroes, after coming to the aid of a huge orca, high and dry in baking sun on a harbour bank between Pouto and Tinopai.
New tourism venture for Dargaville Port Dargaville Cruises overcomes major hurdle in setting up tourism operation RailCruising …
P3
Meeting bestselling authors
Ruawai College students meet Patrick Ness at the recent Readers and Writers festival in Auckland …
P7
Working bee for walkers
A working bee at Ruawai’s Whenuanui Scenic Reserve is a reminder to get out and enjoy the local walks …
P14
Chris and Douglas Matich, from Ruawai, were fishing for mullet on their boat, Christina, when they saw “massive plumes of water going 30 feet in the air” some distance away. “I put the binoculars on and it was an orca, stuck on the Five Fathom Bank. We had seen a pod of around 20 around the harbour, chasing stingrays,” said Chris. The Matichs headed for the stranding and began pouring seawater over the drying whale as the tide ebbed out of the harbour. They also alerted Dorothy Quaife at North Kaipara Coastguard radio, who in turn contacted Dr. Ingrid Visser at the Orca Research Trust in Tutukaka. Dr Visser immediately headed to the scene, a two-hour journey, launching her boat from Tinopai. “When we got to the orca it was in about three feet of water,” said Chris. “Two hours later there was only 8 inches, and we just kept it wet and, I guess, calm. All the while, two other orcas were patrolling in the deeper water nearby.” Dr Visser arrived with Warkworth cameraman, Steve Hathaway, and the incident was filmed for a forthcoming television series on the New Zealand coast. She also immediately recognised the orca from many previous encounters. “It was Koru, identified by his distinctive curving dorsal fin. He is very well travelled, from Kaikoura in the South Photo: Douglas Matich Island, through to sightings in the inner reaches of The orca high and dry at low tide Inset: Dr Visser’s rescue underway. Auckland Harbour and elsewhere.” After four hours on the muddy bank, constantly kept wet by “It is members of the public like this that we are so grateful his rescuers, the huge orca refloated with the incoming tide. to,” said Dr Visser. “We rely on notifications of sightings like this to ”He stayed cool, calm and collected, and as the tide rose, he continue our work. Through the Orca Research Trust, we manouvered himself into its current, and finally he was off.” Koru joined his patrolling companions, and Dr Visser and her protect orca and their habitat through conservation, education crew followed for some distance to ensure all was well, before and scientific research. There are fewer than 200 orca light began to fade and they had to return to shore. in New Zealand waters and they urgently need support. She credited the successful outcome to the fishermen’s We endeavour to ensure as much information and data intervention. The Matichs were also aided at the stranding as possible is accessible to the public, on whom we rely by Walter Smith from Tinopai and Dillon Chamberlain from so much.” Te Kopuru. Contact: 0800 SEE ORCA (0800 733 6722)
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