The first recorded sighting of a southern right whale in the capital in eight years has given researchers a chance to learn more about the species.
NIWA marine ecologist Dr Kim Goetz collected sound recordings near the curious mammal in the hopes it made vocalising calls that can be linked to unique calls recorded in the Cook Strait from around a year ago.
Being able to see the southern right whale provides the evidence necessary to link the calls together if they are found to be the same, providing further understanding of the species distribution.
"Then we would be able to document presence without actually seeing them," she said.
It was the first time Dr Goetz has got so close to the species, previously only studying them from helicopters.
"It was very different to a lot of whales. It didn’t seem bothered by us. It was hanging out at the surface quite a bit and just really surface active."
The encounter became a little too close for comfort when the whale breached and landed near the boat.
"All the water came at us so it got its last laugh really so the jokes on us so it was a really cool experience but at some point it actually can be really dangerous," she said.
"We tried to back off at this point.. it didn’t seem to be aggressive but it just seemed to be more curious than anything."
The species was common in the Wellington area before being driven to the verge of extinction due to whaling in the 18th century.
The Department of Conservation states on its website the mammal was deemed the ‘right’ whale to hunt as they were easy to approach, lived close to the shoreline and provided large amounts of meat, oil and whalebone. Adults can reach 18 metres in length.
Dr Goetz said vocal calls believed to be from the species shows they may be returning to the area, but this was the first she had viewed.
DOC states that southern right whales spotted around the country appear to be part of the New Zealand subantarctic population, with one study showing numbers are increasing.
Colin Giddy, DOC biodiversity ranger for the Kapiti-Wellington region, was also on the research vessel and collected a DNA sample which will be used to determine the whale’s gender.
"Really exciting. This is the first time I’ve had an encounter with a southern right whale," he said.
He said it was a "little scary" when the whale breached close to the boat but the experience was something he will remember for a long time.
"It’s not a common event."
The whale's arrival this week comes just a couple of days after fishermen came across an even rarer white-pigmented humpback whale of the coast of Gisborne on June 30.
"There were three humpback whales there and then one of them was white and we were completely blown away," Josh Whitley said.
"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity seeing something like that, I doubt that I’ll see that again and it was completely amazing," he said.
Mr Whitley said when the boat was leaving the area, the white whale was swimming under the bow.
"Just this massive, massive whale cruising along underneath the water… you could see the whole thing."
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