A baby humpback whale spotted in the Cook Strait yesterday is only the second calf reported in New Zealand waters.
It came two days after whale watchers sighted a rare white humpback in the same stretch on Monday.
The baby humpback and its mother were seen by the Department of Conservation's whale research team, which described it as an "exciting encounter".
The first newborn humpback calf was seen in July 2010, also during the annual DoC Cook Strait Whale Survey, which is timed for humpback whales' migration from the Antarctic to South Pacific breeding grounds.
Seeing the newborn calf yesterday was a special treat for the survey team, whale survey leader, Nadine Bott, said.