The whale continues to be the star in Wellington, but is hampered by the ferry and the fireworks



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  The rare Southern Right Whale swimming in Wellington Harbor, right next to the ferry terminal.

DEREK QUINN

Right whale swimming in Wellington Harbor, right next to the ferry terminal.

The whale that has been in Wellington Harbor for five days now seems to cause problems for the Interislander ferry, as well as a fireworks show.

The Southern Right Whale has gathered many admirers in the capital, with many people flocking to the waterfront – and water – for an observation.

How to call the whale? Email [email protected]

But on Friday afternoon, one of the Interislander ferries had to blow up his horn to get the whale out, so the ship could dock.

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And this is not the only headache that causes whales. Wellington City Council plans to make a call to find out if it will delay its grand fireworks at Matariki this weekend due to the whales' presence in the harbor.

An expert said that the whale could be in Wellington harbor looking for a partner, and that she is showing up to attract other whales.

The whale was spotted breaking up again near the Interislander Ferry terminal on Friday morning. Later, the ferry was unable to reach the whale.

Nadine Bott, of the Department of Conservation, said that the whale could pierce and hit its tail to make more noise, attract other whales or a mate.

She suspected that it was a male of his behavior.

It was the time of year when the whale would have to breed, but she might have a hard time finding another whale, she said. a companion, but there are not many on the continent.

"It might be hard to find another whale right now."

  The Kaiarahi Intersialnder ferry had to make a detour to reach the wharf. the whale was on the way

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The Kaiarahi Intersialnder ferry had to make a detour on its way to the pier – apparently because the whale was on the way.

She had also seen signs of aggression. whale based on images and videos, signs that the public would not recognize.

Violation was generally not aggressive unless the whale is getting closer and closer to the boat, she says. says she saw the whale aggressively "running her head", or raising her d of water to create a wake, she said.

Spectator behavior had caused the assault, but Bott said that she did not want to identify the particular incident.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the fireworks show, the largest annual fire produced by the council in the country, costs about $ 150,000.

It was too early to say how much of this could be lost, if the event was postponed, he said.

Some of the money spent on diverting traffic and adjusting transit fares could be lost if the event was moved.

The postponement day of the event is July 8 and the forecast for both days is for rain and strong winds.

Council staff was awaiting the advice of the Department of Conservation before making a decision on an emergency plan.


Niwa New Zealand / Provided

Images of the Southern Right Whale visiting Wellington Harbor, including sampling and biopsy stinger retrieval performed with our colleagues at the Department of Conservation.

Wellington Harbor Master, Grant Malder, said people were complaining on social media that the boats were getting too close, but the photos would make the whale closer to the boat than it did. was in reality.

"I am not aware of any near accidents."

Boats should approach the whale from the side or back, he said.

Kayakers, dingies and paddlers need to be very careful, he said.

"If she comes next to a kayaker and that she pulls a fin, she could cause serious damage."

The Marine Mammal Protection Regulations, 1992 stipulate that three vessels and / or aircraft must not be within 300 m of any marine mammal and that each vessel must be at least 50 m away. port this week by watching other boats.

Constable Thomas Usher said that no one was too close to it.

"Everyone acted well, they kept a good distance with the whale."

Interislander General Manager Mark Thompson said the crew had sounded the horn to warn the whale.

"The presence of the whale has provided an additional attraction for those who use our ferry service."

On Friday, the boat could be seen spinning around the whale, unable to dock because the whale was in the trajectory of the boat

On Thursday, East By West ferries offered a surprise crossing to people who were trying to see the whale. from the edge of the water.

An operator said that it was a one-off and there would be no other special cruises to see the whale.


– References

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