The value of the marine reserves have been illustrated by a rare humpback whale being seen in the Reotahi reserve in Whangarei Harbour feeding on sprats.
Whangarei orca expert Ingrid Visser was delighted to spend about two hours with the whale in the harbour on Sunday, but was disappointed at the behaviour of some "idiot" boaties who breached the rules when they approached the giant marine mammal.
Dr Visser said the whale was just the second humpback seen in Whangarei Harbour in living memory - the last was in October 2010 - and a sign that the Reotahi reserve was working by having more marine life around it to then attract larger marine life.
The call came through about 1.30pm on Sunday when residents at Mt Aubrey rang the 0800 SEE ORCA hotline to tell the whale expert that the humpback whale had entered the harbour.
Dr Visser and her team from the Orca Research Trust caught up with the whale - which was not the same one that came in 2010 - as it was tucking into mouthfuls of sprats in the Motukaroro Marine Reserve area, which is off the Reotahi foreshore.