Orca pod temporarily halts Napier Port construction work

A curious pod of orca, or maki, made their way past the Port of Napier this week, halting construction work on one of the wharves. Photo / Napier Port

It wasn’t a boatload of tourists on the new cruise ship, but a pod of curious maki (orca) that caused a 45-minute halt to refendering work on one of the wharves at Napier Port this week.

The unexpected visitors have put the port’s special protocols to the test, and it could be the first of many occurrences this summer as sea life returns to Ahuriri post-Cyclone Gabrielle.

We had a few visitors to the port earlier this morning, heading down to Ahuriri and back again! Maki (orca) are regular visitors to our waters this time of year - feeding on the whai (stingray) with their young. There have been a few pods spotted around Napier already this spring. We have marine mammal monitoring protocols here at the port for these events. And so, our current re-fendering work on 3 Wharf was halted for a period of time to allow our visitors a safe and quiet passage on their visit.

Posted by Napier Port on Monday, November 20, 2023

While the pod hasn’t returned since Tuesday, the port said it wasn’t an unusual sight around this time of year.

“It is not uncommon for orca to be spotted in the Hawke’s Bay region throughout the year. There have been a few pods spotted around Napier already this spring,” a Napier Port spokesperson said.

The orca is the largest member of the dolphin family and is often also called a killer whale.

When a pod of orca or marine life shows up, the port is guided by its marine mammal monitoring protocols that were developed as part of the resource consent process for the recently completed 6 Wharf construction project.

“This precaution helps to minimise the effect of underwater noise, even though the orca rarely swim into the port harbour itself,” the spokesperson said.

They said the shutdown on Tuesday this week allowed for a “safe and quiet passage” for the orcas swimming past the port. Normal business operations at the port weren’t impacted during the shutdown.

Napier Port said it was dedicated to ensuring the 6 Wharf project had a minimal environmental impact.

“As such, we committed to managing against any potential adverse effects throughout construction and dredging,” the spokesperson said.

“The Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992 also list the conditions governing behaviour around marine mammals, including vessels.”

The port had invested in a large body of scientific research on Hawke’s Bay’s marine environment to ensure the project was the best it could be for the environment, the spokesperson said.

“Throughout the project, we also worked with key stakeholders and followed comprehensive and best-practice management plans to protect the environment.”

Department of Conservation (DoC) marine technical adviser Hannah Hendriks said orca were regularly seen around New Zealand’s entire coastline this time of the year, where they could often be seen hunting rays and teaching their young how to hunt.

“We recommend, if you are lucky enough to see any orca, [keeping] your distance by keeping boats and kayaks 50 metres away, turning your engine off and enjoying the experience,” she said.

“Orcas are generally not aggressive towards humans. However, swimming with them is prohibited for the safety of both people and the orca. We’d appreciate anyone who spots them to report their sighting to DoC.”

In the summer of last year, a mother and son were privy to a spectacular aerial display performed by orcas outside their home on a Napier beach.

Amy Blakesley and her 11-year-old, Evan, were watching a pod of three swim close to the shore when one leapt right out of the water at Bayview, north of Napier.

Orca whale specialist Dr Ingrid Visser, of the Orca Research Trust, said at the time monitoring the animals was “very important” as there were fewer than 200 of them living around the New Zealand coastline.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.