Winter wildlife visits Northland: Kākā, seals, and orca spotted

Northlanders weren’t the only locals making the most of a break in the downpours this past week, with the region’s winter wildlife emerging.

Sightings of orca and seals created a stir ,as well as the return of the kākā to our trees. Here’s some of the wildlife to look out for this winter:

Orca make a splash

A kayaker had a close encounter with a pod of orca in the waters off the Ōakura coast, north of Whangārei.

The man shared his “amazing” experience online, saying he was paddling in Whangaruru Harbour towards Ōakura Bay while the orca were headed out towards the open sea.

He said they went directly under the kayaks before stopping for a play, slapping their tails on the water as they did so.

The man described them as “absolutely stunning”.

Far North locals captured a pod of nine orca cruising from Coopers Beach to Waikare Inlet in the Bay of Islands on Tuesday.

The pod - which included at least one calf - put on a two-hour show playing and feeding in the inlet as locals watched on.

Orca are often seen in Whangārei Harbour. From left: Pickle, Mum, and Funky Monkey. Photo / Ingrid Visser - Orca Research Trust

One person who saw the group said four of the orca, the calf included, were particularly playful as they spent time approaching moored yachts and buoys, some slapping their tails and breaching.

A pair of orca were later seen feeding next to a jetty in the Bay of Islands, as well as further south in Whangārei Heads as a pod cruised the harbour appearing to hunt stingrays closer to shore.

Department of Conservation (DoC) spokeswoman Abigail Monteith said this was the time of year when we were lucky to regularly see orca and dolphins along Northland’s 2700km stretch of coastline.

“Over the last week, we’ve had reports of sightings of orca in Whangārei Town Basin from rowers, at Taurikura from beach walkers and the Tūtūkākā Coast.”

Monteith says orca - which are technically dolphins and not whales - are often seen in the region’s harbours chasing stingrays.

Founder and principal scientist of the Orca Research Trust Dr Ingrid Visser has previously said Northland was a good hunting ground for stingrays.

New Zealand orca have unusual tastes because, as far as research has shown, they are the only group known to eat stingrays as a staple food.

Seals steal the show

A large seal gave Onerahi residents a buzz last Friday, June 16, as it spent the day lazing about the water’s edge on Beach Rd.

A local woman saw the seal about 7.30am as she passed by on a bike ride. When she returned an hour later, it was still there.

“It was a really calm day so you could see him in the water flapping about.”

As the day closed out, she said the seal was lying on the boat ramp until a boat came in and scared it off.

This seal enjoyed a day out on Beach Rd in Onerahi last week. Photo / Simone Ackermann

But Onerahi isn’t the only place lucky enough to see seals recently. People taking a winter stroll along the Waipū Coastal Walkway spotted a large seal on the rocks close to the trail.

DoC marine science adviser Lauren Boren said seals were regularly seen inland at this time of the year as they come ashore.

Young kekeno/seals and male seals of any age can be spotted between May and September as they ditch their breeding colonies to explore and rest.

Some of their behaviour - such as young pups alone, or seals regurgitating, sneezing, coughing, or crying - may look concerning but Boren said was in fact normal.

She said fur seal populations were recovering quickly.

“This means people need to be prepared to encounter seals anywhere around our coastline, even in areas where they haven’t seen seals before, and particularly over the winter months.”

Although kekeno are marine mammals, they spend much of their time on land resting and basking in the sun. They are most often found on rocky shores, although they are curious and exploratory by nature and are frequently spotted inland.

Boren encouraged dog owners to keep their pets under control, as hotline staff frequently field calls about dogs harassing and attacking seals.

“And what is reported is only a fraction of what actually occurs. This is a year-round issue but particularly this time of the year, when you can come across seals in unexpected places,” she said.

People should call DoC if a seal is in immediate danger - like relaxing on a road - severely injured, or tangled in debris.

Kākā come in to land

A kākā tucks into a snack in a tree at Parua Bay, Whangārei Heads. Photo / Karina Cooper

The raucous sound of kākā has returned to the treetops of Whangārei Heads as the cooler weather sets in.

The numbers of the North Island parrot have been increasing in Northland, particularly at Whangārei Heads, since pest control programmes have been under way.

Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre founder Robert Webb credited local efforts around pest control for the population’s return.

“It’s bringing back not only kākā but bellbirds and tūī,” he said.

Even rare birds, like the grey-headed mollymawk, were being ushered into Northland by easterly winds.

Webb said those birds were discovering they quite liked the country’s shores.

When it came to the kākā, he described how in the morning, Peach Cove on the Whangārei Heads coastline filled with their calls, as well those of bellbirds.

“They’re as loud as can be.”

He said the birds had disappeared over time as the mainland’s canopy became overrun with stoats, rats, and mice, who fed on the birds’ eggs.

The birds left and went back out to the islands like the Hen and Chicks, Webb explained.

His centre had cared for kākā from as far south as Mangawhai and Kaiwaka, where they were hit by vehicles on coastal roads. The parrots are well established on islands, including the Hen and Chicks, Great Barrier and Little Barrier.

Karina Cooper is the deputy news director and covers breaking and general news for the Advocate. She also has a special interest in investigating what is behind the headlines and getting to the heart of a story.