Rare southern right whale puts on a show in Wellington Harbour

Wednesday, 4 July 2018

After a few days of teasing onlookers with fleeting glimpses, a rare southern right whale has put on a show in Wellington Harbour.

The whale had been spotted swimming south, near the Wellington coast, on several occasions since Monday, but it emerged in spectacular fashion on Wednesday.

It was seen jumping and playing in the harbour near the Interislander ferry terminal as it continued its journey south.

The whale was seen near the Lower Hutt suburb of Petone on Tuesday and further north on Monday, captivating onlookers.

READ MORE: Rare right whale sighting

Nadine Bott, from the Department of Conservation, said on Tuesday that right whales were spotted in Wellington Harbour only about once every two years. They were usually seen in the winter months.

The whales were hunted to near extinction in the 18th century, but sightings were slowly starting to increase, Bott said.

There were two right whale populations in New Zealand – one in the sub-antarctic Auckland Islands and another that travelled along the coast and stuck closer to the mainland.

Whale sightings were typically seen about once a year in Wellington Harbour, Bott said.