A pod of bottlenose dolphins plays and feeds in Otago Harbour yesterday near kayaker Paul Hannah. Photo / Otago Daily Times
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A pod of bottlenose dolphins plays and feeds in Otago Harbour yesterday near kayaker Paul Hannah. Photo / Otago Daily Times
Fishing was the last thing on kayaker Paul Hannah's mind when he realised he was accompanied by a pod of bottlenose dolphins in Otago Harbour yesterday morning.
The pod of about 50 to 60 dolphins appeared to be hunting for salmon and spent the day milling about the harbour travelling from the wharves to the Andersons Bay causeway, University of Otago graduate student Tom Brough said.
He had just completed surveying the bottlenose dolphins around Stewart Island last week and had identified four seen there in the pod in Otago Harbour.
"They've done about 150 miles in just over a week."
Researchers could identify the dolphins by their dorsal fins and had done what was thought to be the first scientific photographic survey of those in Otago Harbour for future reference. Most scientific research on the dolphins had been done on the resident Fiordland populations in Dusky and Doubtful Sounds.
Mr Hannah said it was the first time in 12 years of kayaking the harbour and coast that he had seen dolphins, so he gave up on the idea of fishing.