Orca entertain Nelson commuters

A small pod of orca whales swimming just metres off shore provided Nelson commuters with a novel start to the morning.

The pod of about six whales, believed to be a mother whale, two calves and the rest older, were seen off Rocks Road, one of Nelson's main roads, between Tahunanui Beach and the city's port, between 8am and 9.30am.

A lot of people headed down to the waterfront and morning traffic slowed as people tried to watch the whales, said Senior Constable Phil Wylie of Nelson police.

"I don't think anyone was complaining. They saw the whales and they were happy."

Orca were not an unusual sight around Nelson. They often came in close to shore to catch stingrays, he said.

- NZPA