NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Search efforts for baby orca's pod become focus today after sighting around Wellington region

By Nick James
NZ Herald·
19 Jul, 2021 09:40 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Orca calf Toa is still confined to his pool because of the recent flooding polluting Porirua Harbour, but he is still doing well according to Dr Ingrid Visser. Video / Mark Mitchell

Search efforts for baby orca pod Toa are set to be the focus today after orca sightings were reported this morning at Seatoun and Makara.

The Department of Conservation [DoC] said air and sea searches will assist in the efforts.

However, DoC believe it is unlikely Toa the baby orca will be moved back into a sea pen today due to contaminated water in Porirua.

Toa has been held in a 32,000-litre temporary pool since Thursday evening after a major storm was headed for the Wellington region which threatened to put the animal and volunteers at risk.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The aftermath of the storm caused contaminants to spill into the harbour forcing Greater Wellington Regional Council to issue a no swim notice.

The orca calf has been kept in captivity for 9 days after he was found stranded from his pod on July 11.

Efforts to find his family over the past eight days have so far been unsuccessful, leaving the orca in the hands of the Department of Conservation (DoC), Whale Rescue and volunteers.

DoC marine species manager Ian Angus said they are relying on the council to tell them whether they put the orca back in the sea pen.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There's kind of two parameters here, is it safe to put volunteers back into the water and is the orca well enough at that moment in time for us to do the transfer and I think the council are indicating that water quality might not improve for a day or two."

There was frustration yesterday when they couldn't put Toa back into the sea, Angus said.

"It is really frustrating, I [guess] working with wildlife in the wild is very challenging we are well equipped to deal with that but, obviously every time you think you have got a plan but you have to really think it through [the plan] because something has changed it does cause some frustration."

Angus told the Herald they are planning to conduct a large search effort today due to improved weather conditions.

Discover more

New Zealand

Motorcyclist dies after crash on State Highway 2 in Wellington

20 Jul 04:43 AM

"The weather looks good for a good search for today and I think it's likely we will be making that wider effort."

DoC will be following reports of orca sightings near the top of the South Island in the Marlborough Sounds.

Angus said while they still feel positive people shouldn't underestimate the difficulties of the operation.

"[We] are trying to make sure we can do a translocation in a safe way with its wellbeing at the centre of our response. But it is challenging, I'm not going to lie about that at all."

Veterinary reports show that the animal continues to be in good health with experts suggesting he is still in a good condition for a relocation.

Orca Research Trust founder Dr Ingrid Visser filming male orca calf Toa playing with bull kelp in his pool at the Plimmerton Boating Club in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Orca Research Trust founder Dr Ingrid Visser filming male orca calf Toa playing with bull kelp in his pool at the Plimmerton Boating Club in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Marine biologist Dr Ingrid Visser told the Herald she's hopeful he will be reunited with them soon.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We're making the best of a very difficult situation and he's doing remarkably well," she said. "He's living up to his name of being brave and strong."

Visser said yesterday they had put bull kelp in the pool to calm the orca.

"He went from breathing quite rapidly... to just this deep sleep ... breathing really slowly and gently massaging himself with the kelp.

"Really lovely to see."

Volunteers encouraging male orca calf Toa to play with bull kelp in his pool at the Plimmerton Boating Club in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Volunteers encouraging male orca calf Toa to play with bull kelp in his pool at the Plimmerton Boating Club in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Anyone who sights orca pods off the lower North Island's west coast – particularly between Wellington and Taranaki – is urged to provide as much information as possible to DoC, via wellington@doc.govt.nz or by calling 0800 DOC HOT.

Essential information includes location of the pod, direction of travel of the animals, and photographs or videos which clearly show the saddle/back markings of the animals and their dorsal fins.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison

New Zealand
|Updated

Girl who died in Fiordland drowning missed 'every moment, every day'

New Zealand

Motorist dies after four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison
New Zealand

'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison

Holly Pattison, 36, was sentenced to nine months' home detention.

17 Jul 07:00 AM
Girl who died in Fiordland drowning missed 'every moment, every day'
New Zealand
|Updated

Girl who died in Fiordland drowning missed 'every moment, every day'

17 Jul 06:25 AM
Motorist dies after four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay
New Zealand

Motorist dies after four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay

17 Jul 06:02 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP