Members of the public have been asked to be on the lookout for a juvenile pygmy blue whale which was freed from beneath a wharf on Kawau Island yesterday.
The whale, measuring 14 to 15 metres in length, first became wedged under the private Schoolhouse Bay wharf on Monday morning.
It was freed around 6pm last night after part of the wharf was dismantled.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) joined forces with the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust — with support from marine construction companies Stanaway Marine and STF — as part of the rescue effort.
DOC said the whale showed “a little distress as the barge was brought in but soon returned to normal breathing patterns and stayed calm throughout the process”.
It was then guided out of the bay by DOC staff on board a Ngāti Manuhiri vessel.
“The whale was last seen swimming into deeper water, and there have been no reports of sightings overnight.”
In a media release, DOC operations manager Kat Lane thanked all those involved in the “huge collaborative effort”.
“We couldn’t have done it without the help of the many people on the ground. From Ngāti Manuhiri, Stanaway Marine and STF contractors, and local residents, everyone played their part in this complex operation,” she said.
Ngāti Manuhiri chairman Mook Hohneck said Tohorā “are a taonga species”.
“In these emergency situations it is important we act both quickly and in accordance with tikanga to ensure its safe release.”
DOC will be repairing the wharf as several piles were removed.
It is also calling on the public to report any whale sightings, both offshore and along local beaches.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to report sightings to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
