A heart-breaking scene unfolded as a bottlenose dolphin carried her dead calf near the Bay of Islands. Authorities warned boaties to keep their distance and respect speed limits.
Boaties are being urged to keep well clear of a grieving bottlenose dolphin carrying her dead calf through the Bay of Islands.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) said the incident was a stark example of why low-speed limits and distance rules apply within the Te Pēwhairangi Marine Mammal Sanctuary.
A marine tour operator first saw the dolphin last Wednesday, and she had since been observed several times by DoC staff and members of the public.
The cause of the calf’s death was unknown, though DoC says it might have been stillborn or died shortly after birth.
“Because the presumed mother will be under significant stress, everyone should do their best to give the dolphins space,” Lundquist said. “The pod will be providing all of the support needed.”
The last time a grieving mother dolphin was spotted carrying her dead calf in the Bay of Islands was in 2019, pictured here by the Department of Conservation.
He said dolphins could continue carrying deceased calves for days or even weeks.
The incident prompted DoC to renew its reminder of the strict rules within the marine sanctuary, which was established to reduce vessel‑based pressures on the region’s bottlenose dolphin population.
All vessels must stay at least 300m away from dolphins once seen and remain stopped until they are that far away. No one is permitted in the water within 300m of any marine mammal. A five‑knot speed limit also applies in designated safe zones throughout the sanctuary.
Bottlenose dolphins are classified as Nationally Vulnerable and are protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1978. The number of dolphins regularly present in the Te Pēwhairangi/Bay of Islands has declined in the past, with high calf mortality rates and high levels of vessel interactions.
Outside the sanctuary, DoC urged everyone on the water to follow national rules for sharing the ocean with marine mammals – slowing down, keeping well clear, and avoiding any action that could disturb a pod.
Meanwhile, there were several sightings of a pod of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtless Bay during the weekend. People shared stories on social media of seeing the pod at Mangonui, Cable Bay, and Coopers Beach, where it was filmed following a man on his hydrofoil board.
DoC would like anyone who finds the calf once it had been abandoned to call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) so samples could be taken from the remains.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and on the East Coast.
