Northland-based fishing personality Matt Watson has incredible dolphin encounter

Matt Watson's home on the Purerua Peninsula, northeast of Kerikeri, was visited by a pod of dolphins. Photo / Matt Watson

TV fishing personality Matt Watson’s Northland home appears to be the gift that keeps on giving after an incredible dolphin encounter over the weekend.

A video shared to Watson’s Facebook page on Wednesday showed him rushing into the ocean in front of his home on the Purerua Peninsula, northeast of Kerikeri, to join a pod of dolphins swimming close to the water’s edge.

Watson was cooking dinner when he heard his wife Kaylene exclaim, “What’s that?”

He quickly grabbed his phone, raced down to the water’s edge, and ran into the ocean fully clothed.

Watson hoped the dolphins that were making their way back out would turn around - and they did.

The mammals seemed curious about him as they moved closer, swimming back and forth inches away from where Watson stood in waist-deep water.

“There was one that came past twice and rolled on its side and looked at me twice.

“I probably could have touched it but I didn’t - I didn’t want to make a sudden movement.”

Watson thought the dolphins were of the Pacific blue bottlenose species.

“I’m not an expert but they’re definitely not the common [type of dolphin] - they’re much less likely to engage.”

The encounter left Kaylene and her friends, who were visiting for the weekend, shocked and amazed. Watson joked it was out of the ordinary for “townies”.

But the interaction with the pod may not have been Watson’s first.

A few years ago, he and a friend, along with their sons, were in the same spot around the same time of day when they had a similar encounter.

“They more or less beached themselves,” Watson said of the dolphins.

Their 8 and 6-year-old sons got close to the dolphins, which followed them up and down the beach.

He said the dolphins had acted more cautious around the two men.

“My take on that is they could sense we were adult males. While we were showing no ill intent, they were just a little more wary.”

TV fishing personality Matt Watson.

The dolphins flicked seaweed out of the water at one point, which Watson thought was to get the boys’ attention.

“The difference on that occasion was that my phone was in my truck.”

Watson said the video was a timely reminder for people to immerse themselves in nature - something he thinks we’re losing.

“Kiwis like to associate with being outdoorsy people and in touch with nature. And I think more and more, that isn’t the case anymore.

“As our fish stocks get depleted, as our water gets more polluted, you can’t go and dig out pipi anymore. It’s taking away more reasons to go to the ocean and engage with it.”

But those interactions are when you experience amazing sunrises, dolphins and orcas, Watson said.

“Once you’ve got a tangible, real reason [to care], you’re going to modify your behaviour to look after it [the ocean].”

Watson and his wife Kaylene constructed their home from 2020 to 2022, filming the build for the TV show Building the Dream.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.