Whale species seen by boaters off New Zealand for first time in 24 years, photos show

Boaters off the coast of New Zealand spotted a pod of pilot whales for the first time in over two decades, photos show.

“Today’s morning safari was like no other … ” the Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari, a boat tour agency, said in a Dec. 14 Facebook post.

“In the 24 years that we have operated in Tīkapa Moana we have never recorded a sighting of Pilot Whales,” the organization added.

Tīkapa Moana is a marine park located off Auckland, which spans over 6,559 square miles.

In total, the boaters spotted around 40 pilot whales, which were seen foraging, surfacing and slapping their fins.

A photo posted by the organization shows a number of the animals breaching and expelling air from their blowholes.

Another photo shows a neonate or newborn whale, which can be identified by a series of white stripes along its body, known as foetal folds.

Pilot whales, specifically long-finned pilot whales, are found throughout the cold waters of the southern hemisphere, including off of New Zealand, according to the Department of Conservation. However, their population size is not known.

The animals, which feed on squid and octopus, are distinguished by their bulbous heads and dark gray color.

In addition to the pilot whales, boaters also spotted another unusual sight.

“We also had an incredibly rare encounter with a humpback whale,” the organization said, “which is one of only 11 that we have seen since the year 2000.”

Humpbacks, which undertake some of the longest migrations in the world, are found in all oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The waters off New Zealand are “truly alive with an incredible array of cetaceans,” the boat tour agency added.

This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 7:14 AM with the headline "Whale species seen by boaters off New Zealand for first time in 24 years, photos show."