One dolphin has died, while two others were successfully refloated after becoming stranded in Porirua Harbour.
The three dusky dolphins stranded near the Porirua stream inlet on Saturday morning.
Initially rangers from the Department of Conservation, local iwi Ngāti Toa representatives, Project Jonah and Whale Rescue NZ came to help, rotating 10 people in the water.
A Department of Conservation spokesperson confirmed to 1News all people in the water are wearing appropriate PPE for Alert Level 2 and are wearing face masks.
"All people in the water have experience in this type of operation," the spokesperson said.
By the afternoon, the dolphins were showing signs of "stress and disorientation", trying to swim toward even shallower waters.
"The three dolphins were held suspended alongside boats (in stretchers) and slowly moved out of the harbour," the spokesperson says.
"Unfortunately, just near the release zone, one of the dolphins died. However, the other two dolphins were successfully released."
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