Mum and calf putting on the show off Ahuriri on Tuesday. Photo / Supplied
Mum and calf putting on the show off Ahuriri on Tuesday. Photo / Supplied
Orca feeding along the Hawke's Bay coast aren't expected to be a problem for a family fishing competition set for a second-go at the weekend.
The Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club's Napier Port Family Fishing Classic was to have been held last week but was postponed because of Covid alertlevel 2 and a forecast for bad weather.
It's now scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, but club president Neil Price said the forecast again is not the best.
It's a boat-based competition, heading for deeper water and targeting snapper, kingfish, gurnard, blue cod, kahawai, mackerel, john dory, groper, tarakihi, trevally, marlin, tuna, albacore, skipjack and barracuda, with junior prizes for five of the species.
An adult orca and her calf, which came close to a personal visit at the club near the entrance to the inner harbour on Tuesday, would have been looking for stingray, including those that enter the Scapa Flow towards the clubhouse and its launching ramp, he says.
One man near the beach at Ahuriri, also with a mum and young baby, said whales have become regulars, and yesterday the whale and calf spent some time in the shallows near the Ahuriri Heads (Perfume Point).
He's seen whales along the coast often, including alongside in the water at Waipatiki, and said: "They'll be back."
If the fishing classic goes ahead, registration and briefing will be held at the HBSFC clubhouse off Nelson Quay, Ahuriri on Friday starting at 5pm. The competition is open to members and the general public.
