Far North stranding: 25 rough-toothed dolphins found on Ahipara coast

DoC confirmed 15 of the 25 rough-toothed dolphins stranded at Tauroa Point, Ahipara were rescued on Monday. The dead animals will likely be sent to Massey University's Cetacean Ecology Research Group (CERG) for study. Photo/Tariana Tau

A major rescue effort was sparked after a Far North woman stumbled across a large pod of dolphins on a stretch of Ahipara coastline.

Kaitāia Operations Manager Meirene Hardy-Birch said 25 rough-toothed dolphins were stranded on a reef at Tauroa Point, at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach.

NZME understands the woman raised the alarm with Te Papa Atawhai about 9.30am on Monday.

Some 30 Department of Conservation/Te Papa Atawhai staff, Ahipara takiwā hapū and volunteers assisted the pod - 10 of which were dead when DoC staff arrived.

“DoC Ranger Bianca Maddox worked alongside Ahipara takiwā hapū and surf community members to guide the 15 surviving dolphins through water channels and out to sea.”

Hardy-Birch said rough-toothed dolphins were usually found in tropical and warmer temperate waters.

“There are only four previous records of rough-toothed dolphins stranding in New Zealand, which included a stranding of four animals in south Marlborough in 1990.

“A stranding of this size for this species is unprecedented.”

DoC Ranger Abe Witana, lead co-ordinator of the stranding, extended thanks to Tui Te Paa and other hapū representatives along with the local surfing community for “working together to save these unique creatures”.

Marine mammal rescue, action, and protection organisation Project Jonah New Zealand confirmed its medics had been on standby to assist throughout the day.

A post on the organisation’s Facebook page said the unprecedented event was a timely reminder to consider our actions and the impacts they have on the environment around us.

“These dolphins are a species called rough-toothed dolphins, a tropical species rarely seen in Aotearoa New Zealand,” the post said.

“One of the effects of climate change is a warming of our oceans, which is causing disruption to food webs.

“As the range of prey species move to cooler waters, we are likely to also see the movement of predators, like whales and dolphins, following the food. This means we are more likely in the future to see rarely seen species in our waters.”

Project Jonah New Zealand said local iwi had given approval for the animals that didn’t survive to be sent to the Cetacean Ecology Research Group - CERG at Massey University so more could be learned about the animals.

Hardy-Birch said the public is asked to report whale or dolphin strandings to the DoC emergency hotline: 0800 DOC HOT/(0800 362 468).