Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

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 / Whanganui Chronicle

Scarce few whales located off warm waters of south Taranaki coast

Whanganui Chronicle
15 Feb, 2018 05:10 PM2 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

Amazing footage has emerged of blue whales feeding in the waters of the South Taranaki Bight. Video/ Oregon State University

A NIWA expedition in the Cook Strait and South Taranaki coast has managed to put trackers on only two whales, due to warmer waters changing the mammal's movements.

The two-week expedition to tag blue whales in New Zealand waters for the first time almost came up empty due to warmer sea temperatures causing the animals to change their behaviour.

NIWA megafauna expert and marine ecologist Kim Goetz led the expedition hoping to tag up to eight blue whales to help understand their foraging and migration patterns.

The original plan was to locate and tag the whales in Cook Strait and off the coast of South Taranaki but when no whales were spotted, the expedition moved to the West Coast where a pod of 20 were spotted.

An 18-metre female blue whale surfaces in the ocean of lower Northland in 2010. Photo/Ingrid Visser
An 18-metre female blue whale surfaces in the ocean of lower Northland in 2010. Photo/Ingrid Visser
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Despite it being really difficult to get near them, we were able to attach tracking devices to two whales which, on reflection was really good. We thought at first we weren't going to get any instruments deployed at all," Ms Goetz said.

The tracking devices, which should last for four to six months, show both whales are now heading north, with one bypassing the Taranaki region.

"We have no idea where these animals are heading but the tags are transmitting well and it has all been worth it," Dr Goetz said.

"This will give us novel information as it is the first movement data for this species in New Zealand waters which is very exciting."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The NIWA research expedition was also supported by OMV, University of Auckland, the Australian Antarctic Division, Western Work Boats, Oregon State University and the Pew Charitable Trust.

- NZN

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

Whanganui Chronicle

Extra $7m for Lake Alice torture redress pool after more people eligible than expected


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles
Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Affected staff could be re-employed in alternative roles or one of 18 new roles.

17 Jul 06:00 PM
NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth
Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Extra $7m for Lake Alice torture redress pool after more people eligible than expected
Whanganui Chronicle

Extra $7m for Lake Alice torture redress pool after more people eligible than expected

17 Jul 05:00 PM


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
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP