A small group of orca swam close to the shore at Karehana Bay in Plimmerton, near Porirua, on Sunday evening, surprising guests at The Jetty bistro, the NZ Herald reports. Staff member Simone Beaulieu, who filmed the animals, said she saw two orca, while a customer reported a third nearby. A birthday party of about 20 people paused their celebration when one of the animals leapt from the water.
The orca stayed in view for 10 to 15 minutes before heading north towards Pukerua Bay. The Department of Conservation said orca are present in New Zealand waters all year, with sightings more common in spring and summer, and that sightings around Wellington are not unusual. It asked people to watch from a safe distance and keep boats at least 50 metres away.
Source: NZ Herald
Photo: View of Taupō Kainga from the Taua Tapu (Pukerua) Track, Plimmerton (17210987220) by Archives New Zealand from New Zealand, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Plimmerton.