A pod of orca has returned to Tauranga waters this week, delighting those who enjoyed their company last year.
Stuart Arnold, the owner and skipper of Dolphin Seafaris, said he first spotted the pod of six orca on Monday, saw them playing in the waves off Papamoa Domain on Tuesday and
finally managed to capture the photo he had been waiting for yesterday - an adult orca with a calf.
Mr Arnold, who has been taking photographs of orca for the past seven years, said it was a "real privilege" to get the picture he did.
"To get a baby with its head out of the water and especially a baby with its tongue poking out is quite unusual," he said.
He said there were three pods of orca in Tauranga Harbour last year, between the last week of November and the Christmas-New Year period.
He said the pods were attracted to the harbour by the stingray population, which was like "jellybeans" to orca.
"That's what the orca are coming for, to chase stingray in the shallow waters."
Mr Arnold was convinced the pod of three female orca, one male and two juveniles visited Tauranga waters in the same week last year.
He recognised them by the distinctive colour, shape, kinks and nicks in their dorsal fins.
Mr Arnold spotted the pod of orca between Mauao and Sulphur Point about 9.15am yesterday.
By about 2.30pm they had moved to Pilot Bay, moving out towards Mayor Island about 3.15pm.
Mr Arnold predicted this orca pod would be holidaying in the Bay for the next two to three weeks.
"They spend probably 60 to 70 per cent of their time in and around the harbour and the rest of the time cruising around.
"There's no danger with them (to humans) even though they're probably the most lethal predator in the ocean," he said.
Meanwhile Brandon Stone, who owns On the Wild Side tours, spotted a pod of about 12 orca, including a calf with a badly damaged dorsal fin, at Omokoroa on Sunday and saw them in the harbour again yesterday afternoon, following them out the Tauranga Harbour entrance.
He said several boaties, jet skiers and kayakers were enjoying the spectacle.
See the photo gallery for more pictures of amazing sea creatures seen in the Bay of Plenty waters.
