Dolphins staying put in Northland river

Five bottlenose dolphins who have spent three days up a Far North river are showing few signs of heading home to the sea.

One dolphin died yesterday after stranding on the banks of the Oruaiti River, off Mangonui Harbour, but despite repeated Department of Conservation (DOC) efforts to herd the remainder of the pod back out to sea, the five remaining members are staying put in the river.

DOC biodiversity ranger Lester Bridson said the dolphins were swimming freely along the river and seemed to be venturing further downstream towards the sea today.

"We have been closely monitoring their behaviour, watching for signs of distress, such as swimming erratically or thrashing, and watching their breathing.

"So far, they are not showing signs of stress."

There were initially believed to be just four remaining dolphins but a careful count of dorsal fins today revealed there were five.

New Zealand dolphin researcher Kristy Russell had advised DOC staff the dolphins were not in immediate danger of stranding and a "wait and see" approach was best.

"The dolphins appear to be okay at this stage.

"Too much interference could put them under stress, which could then put them at risk of stranding," Ms Russell said.

With killer whale sightings reported in the area, there has been speculation the dolphins first entered the river to get away from them.

DOC staff were to remain on stand-by over the weekend.

- NZPA