Bay cries an ocean of tears for our Kelly

An "ocean of tears" was shed at Marineland yesterday as staff farewelled their last dolphin, Kelly.
The death of Kelly marks the end of an era for the marine zoo which is now shut to the public. A special public consultation will be held in early October to determine the future of the site.
Kelly died aged 38 in the early hours of Thursday morning after suffering a short illness. Her body was taken away yesterday to Massey University for a post mortem.
Marineland manager Gary Macdonald said Kelly had been having "a downer" since last week - not eating her food or responding to attention.
The day before she died Kelly had picked up, so her overnight death came as a shock.
"We're all very relieved for her and for us that it didn't drag on," said Mr Macdonald.
"There's been an ocean of tears shed here today."
Since Kelly's arrival to Marineland in 1974 she - along with three other dolphins, Cassana who died in 1998, Selina, 1999, and Shona, 2006 - had been a star attraction. It's estimated Kelly entertained four million visitors.
In the process she won over the hearts of many.
Friends of Marineland chairman Cliff Church referred to Kelly as a "very special lady".
"You could rank her up there with some of the great people that's made this town what it is ... how many people, let alone animals, have given over 30 years of life for the joy of people in this town?"
Councillor Harry Lawson last saw Kelly perform at Marineland's open day in July when she entertained a crowd of more than 2000.
Following the death of Shona in 2006 he took a petition to Parliament with 13,588 signatures supporting the replacement of dolphins when they died at Marineland. The permit was denied.
Earlier this year, the Napier City Council passed a motion 10-2 in favour of closing Marineland to public access when Kelly died.
But Mr Lawson was still unhappy that the Government would not allow Marineland to get new dolphins, and said the zoo should keep operating.
Staff at Marineland will continue to look after the remaining animals which include sea lions, fur seals, blue penguins, gannets, and an array of birds until further decisions on the site were made.
Mayor Barbara Arnott said a summary of reports that the council had on the facility would be collated and made available to the public during the consultation period, starting early October. Hearings would then be held in November before an outcome was decided.
Mrs Arnott said there was a possibility of some kind of memorial for the dolphins, due to their iconic status in Napier.
"We need a bit of water under the bridge first," she said. "People need some time to get used to the fact that the last dolphin has died."
The decision on the future of the site would not be an entirely financial one as it was unlikely the facility would be a profit-maker, Mrs Arnott said. However it would need to be something that had a "wow" factor.
In the last financial year, Marineland cost ratepayers $300,000 - an improvement on the previous figure of $400,000.
While Marineland's future is up in the air, one thing is certain - Kelly will be mourned by many.
"It's a large void in our lives, for all of us," said Mr Macdonald.