Fishermen floored as 300kg dolphin leaps into boat in Bay of Islands

By Peter de Graaf of RNZ

Fishermen in the Bay of Islands got far more than they bargained for today when a 300kg dolphin leapt out of the water and straight into their boat.

The bizarre wildlife encounter, which occurred around lunchtime off Cape Brett, knocked one of the boaties over and left him with bruising to one arm.

It also left the trio - young men from Warkworth on a fishing trip they won’t forget - with the dilemma of what to do with a dolphin almost as long as their vessel.

Department of Conservation (DoC) Bay of Islands manager Bronwyn Bauer-Hunt commended the fishermen for “doing everything right”.

First they sought advice via Russell Radio, a maritime radio service, about what to do with their unintended catch.

The radio operator put them in contact with a DoC ranger, who advised them to keep the dolphin cool and shaded, and motor back to Waitangi jetty so their surprise passenger could be given a health check.

The 300kg bottlenose dolphin is winched on to a pontoon after accidentally leaping into a small boat in the Bay of Islands. Photo / DoC

Bauer-Hunt said they used an umbrella and a hose to keep the dolphin cool, taking care not to get water in its blowhole.

Men and marine mammal were met at the wharf by DoC staff and hapū members, who gave the dolphin a thorough check-up.

She said the juvenile male bottlenose dolphin had a few scratches where it had landed on the metal deck, but was otherwise unhurt.

“No one was seriously injured, including the dolphin, which was a great outcome,” she said.

Bauer-Hunt estimated the dolphin weighed 300kg and if stretched out – it had landed with its tail curled up – it would have been almost as long as the Stabicraft fishing boat.

The dolphin was given the name Tohu, meaning “sign”.

Following its health check, Tohu was winched on to a pontoon and towed back out to sea by a DoC vessel.

Once released, DoC staff followed Tohu until they were confident it was swimming strongly and behaving normally, despite its misadventure.

Bauer-Hunt said DoC appreciated the young fishermen for thinking quickly and seeking expert advice to ensure the dolphin’s welfare.

She said anyone involved in a marine mammal incident should report it by calling 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

A similar incident off Slipper Island in the Bay of Plenty in 2006 had a less happy outcome.

In that case, a woman sitting on the bow of a pleasure boat suffered serious injuries after a dolphin apparently misjudged a jump and landed on top of her.

The dolphin, however, was unhurt.

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