Members of the public flocked to Browns Bay in Auckland after spotting what looked like a stranded whale close to the shoreline, many people ran down to the waters edge to see if they could help.
However, it wasn't a real whale, but rather a life-like replica used by rescue charity Project Jonah.
"We thought we saw a whale in the water, so we stopped, got out and had a wee look," one onlooker said.
This weekend Project Jonah is holding two training sessions for volunteers.
"We're teaching people the basic skills needed to help keep stranded whales and dolphins alive," Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover said.
The trainers explained how to handle the mammals when they are in distress.
Two mammal replicas were used; a training dolphin, which when filled with water weighs 150 kilograms and a training whale which takes 2000 litres of water and can weigh up to two tonnes.
New Zealand has one of the highest stranding rates in the world, with more than 300 dolphins and whales coming ashore each year.
SHARE ME