The Department of Conservation (DOC) is reminding people of the rules for interacting with marine mammals, following sightings of a pod of orca in Raglan and Kawhia harbours in the past fortnight.
DOC said a family pod of five, part of the resident population off New Zealand’s coast, were likely feeding in the area.
DOC Marine Species Manager Malene Felsing said it had received reports of people getting too close to the animals, “potentially putting themselves and the orca at risk”.
Felsing said concerns about human behaviour around the animals had also been raised online, including a report of a boat allegedly chasing the pod in Raglan harbour.
It prompted a plea from DOC, which urged boaties, kayakers, and jet-skiers to be careful when coming into proximity with orca.
“The orca pod is bringing people a lot of joy, which is great,” Felsing said.
“However, this family group includes a large male and an adult female – these are powerful animals who could do serious harm if agitated.”
Felsing said the pod also included calves, which are “particularly susceptible” to injury or disturbance and could be separated from their mothers.
“It’s really important to let the orca decide how they want to interact with people.
“We can’t stop the orca from approaching people, but we should be letting them choose to do that, rather than forcing our presence on them.”
Anyone aboard a vessel — including kayakers and paddleboarders — should stop and turn engines off if approached by an orca.
“Just enjoy the encounter until the animals are ready to move on — and don’t chase after them.”
Under New Zealand law, vessels must stay at least 50 metres away from orcas, with a maximum of three allowed within 300 metres of the animals. Kayakers must raft together as one vessel — otherwise, they are counted as individual vessels.
Anyone who purposefully approaches an orca closer than 50 metres or in a way that disturbs them is breaking the law and could face a fine of up to $250,000 or a maximum of two years in prison.
“We want marine mammals like orca to be able to go about their natural behaviours such as feeding, socialising, and resting and improper interactions can severely disrupt this kind of behaviour,” Felsing said.
It’s estimated there are between 150 and 200 orca in New Zealand waters.
The apex predators are classified as highly threatened, with disturbance by vessels, including recreational boats, major threats due to noise pollution and boat strikes.
