Napier's Marineland exhibition: The sad tale of Daphne the dolphin

If anyone has Marineland memorabilia or film that they would like to be considered for use in the exhibition, please contact Gail at gailp@mtghawkesbay.com

"Daphne was not just any dolphin, she was the most cherished member of Marineland", wrote Frank Robson in his book Thinking Dolphins, Talking Whales.

The morning of 27 January 1965 dawned fine and still, just right for the beginning of a new chapter in Napier's life - Marineland.

An enthusiastic group of men, intent on capturing Napier's first dolphin, boarded the launch 'Brenda' and motored out into the Hawke Bay / Te Matau-a-Māui. On board were skipper Frank Robson, mayor Peter Tait, trainer Alex Dobbins and an SPCA (Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) inspector, along with others.

Not far from the Ahuriri Breakwater a pod of dolphins was sighted. Excitedly the striker took up position in the bow, holding the oiled and finely-tuned tail-grabber in readiness, the handle poised vertically, the jaws just skimming the water. The rope, connected to the tail-grab, ran up the handle along the deck and attached between the cockpit and stern of the boat.

The striker waited, poised breathlessly for a dolphin to break the surface of the water. Several did, and finally, as one arched its back to return to the depths, the striker thrust downwards with the grab - the trigger touched the top edge of the dolphin's tail-stock, the jaws sprang shut, locking on tightly and effectively stopping the mammal in mid-stream.

Robson pulled the rope attached to the tail-grab taut and swiftly drew the captured dolphin alongside the boat. In order that it did not drown, a noose was placed over the dolphin's head to lift it to the surface. The mammal was then whisked on-board, placed on a wet stretcher and the grab removed. The laborious task began of pouring water over the prone body in order to keep it constantly wet. The dolphin, totally disorientated, lay still, experiencing for the first time the strange sensation of its own weight.

On capturing their first dolphin, Frank Robson wrote that all associated with the event wore "the same love-struck, hardly-able-to-believe-it look" along with an "awareness of the enormous responsibility we had taken upon ourselves when we took this animal out of its proper environment".

Once captured, the female Common dolphin, eventually named Daphne, "settled down with no trouble at all… and with petting… showed every sign of immediate acceptance of her new situation".

When the boat reached Port Ahuriri, Daphne was lifted by crane, placed on a truck and driven to Napier's new dolphin pool into which she was carefully lowered. Attired in snorkelling gear, Dobbins walked round and round with Daphne helping to keep her upright and acclimatising the dolphin to her strange surroundings.

Daphne's home became the new, purpose-built round dolphin pool located on Marine Parade. It was completed in December 1964 and measured 15.24 metres in diameter and three metres deep. Within hours of capture, Daphne, once a creature of the wild open ocean and a member of a large family pod, found herself incarcerated in a small concrete tank, alone.

Not used to consuming dead fish, it took Daphne almost eight days to begin eating. Bereft of her own kind, she slowly began to interact with humans. She was not alone for long however - within two months, five more dolphins had been captured to keep her company.

Worryingly, within a month Daphne's appetite diminished, she quickly lost weight and her movements slowed down considerably. This deterioration was further evidenced by the colour of her skin - it lost its sheen and became darker.

Added to this was a covering of slime which adhered to the surface of her skin. Daphne also began swimming laboriously on her right side, a telling sign that a marine mammal was in trouble and suffering. A newly caught juvenile Dusky dolphin, known as Dusky I, positioned itself beneath the beleaguered Daphne, lifting her to the surface so that she could breathe.

Although prescribed with antibiotics, Daphne's condition continued to deteriorate. Finally it was decided to return her to Te Matau-a-Māui and when released on 15 April 1965, Daphne circled the boat twice and slowly swam away. It is unknown whether she lived or died after her terrible ordeal.

MTG Hawke's Bay is currently curating an exhibition on Marineland. Titled 'Marineland: Ring of Fire', the exhibition will open in August 2022. If anyone has Marineland memorabilia or film that they would like to be considered for use in the exhibition, please contact Gail at gailp@mtghawkesbay.com. Gail Pope is social history curator at the MTG.