Freak dolphin accident sparks call to follow rules

A freak accident which left a women badly injured when a dolphin leapt onto a boat near Pauanui is a reminder to respect wild marine mammals, says Russell-based Department of Conservation ranger Kirsty Russell.
It was "just an accident", she said, but one that could happen at any time. Boaties in the Bay of Islands needed to give dolphins and whales space and "think about how you'd feel in the water surrounded by noisy boats."
She likened the dolphins' feelings to drivers navigating the eight-lane roundabout near the Champs Elysses in Paris: "Lanes and lanes of machines circling you, and you look left, right, and can't pick your way out."
When there were dolphins in the Bay, people just wanted to get out in their boats and see them. "But they are wild animals, and people just need to remember that ... It's best if people can watch from afar."
DOC regulations state that there should be no more than three boats within 300 metres of marine mammals, no wake from boats - which means a speed of around five knots - and boats shouldn't drive through a pod.
Dolphins often play in the wake of boats and are quite happy riding alongside them, but things can turn at any stage if a dolphin became scared or over-excited.
"Too many boats could be scary, and noisy. Their sense of hearing is better than ours, and noise of engines travels further in the water."
The last accident involving a marine mammal in Northland occurred in January when a 15m launch struck a whale off Cape Brett and sank. The Auckland family of seven had only minutes to scramble into an inflatable dinghy.
More usually, interactions between dolphins and humans end happily. For example, a pod of dolphins saved a group of Ocean Beach lifeguards from a shark in November 2004.
• A pod of about 15 dolphins was spotted cruising Northland's coast near Cable Bay about 1.20pm yesterday. Children playing on the beach rushed down to the surf to catch a glimpse as the dolphins played in the waves then continued on their way.