Rare blue whales have been spotted off the coast of the North Island by NIWA scientists.
The whales, the world's largest animal remain one of the planet's most elusive creatures.
They were intensively hunted in the Southern Hemisphere during the whaling era, dramatically reducing their numbers.
The creatures were spotted by scientists on a research expedition in the South Taranaki Bight led by NIWA marine ecologist Dr Leigh Torres.
