The female dolphin, top, carrying her dead baby on her back next to another adult dolphin in the Bay of Islands. Photo / C Peters, DoC.
Boaties in the Bay of Islands are being urged to give a wide berth to a grieving female dolphin that's swimming around with a dead calf on her back.
The female bottlenose dolphin is carrying a dead calf in the Bay of Islands, and Department of Conservation staff monitoring the
female and calf, want boats on the water to give them space.
The mother and calf, suspected to be stillborn, were first spotted on January 29. The female is displaying strong maternal bond behaviour as is typical with marine mammals, including carrying the calf on her back and vocalising on the calf.
"The mother is grieving and needs space and time to do this. The Bay of Islands is a busy place in summer with a lot of activity in and around the water. This female needs everyone on the water to give her the extra space and respect she needs whilst she copes with her loss. If in doubt avoid all dolphin groups in the Bay of Islands," Dr Catherine Peters, DoC Senior Ranger Biodiversity, said.
The rest of the dolphin group has at times separated from the female leaving her vulnerable. She has dropped the calf frequently as she tried to swim, and then circles back to retrieve it, Peters said.
