Baby humpback whale seen in NZ waters

A baby humpback whale, believed to be just two days old and perhaps born prematurely, has been spotted in New Zealand waters for the first time.

The 4m calf was seen by Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and volunteers on Sunday in Tory Channel as part of an annual survey of whale numbers, as they migrate from Antarctic water to the South Pacific, the Dominion Post reported.

DOC marine ecologist and surveyor Nadine Bott said the calf was spotted with its mother and to be born while the whales were still off New Zealand's east coast indicated it was a premature birth.

The pair came within 15m of the survey boat and the team watched them for about 25 minutes.

Mrs Bott said there had never been any reported sightings of humpback calves in New Zealand, even in the days of commercial whaling, which ended here in 1964.

The calf needed to come to the surface to breathe more often than an adult, and still had neonatal folds along its body.

So far the group has spotted 43 humpback whales in the four-week survey, which finishes tomorrow.

- NZPA