KEY POINTS:
Aucklanders can help to save a healthy but confused killer whale today by keeping an eye out for the lost orca.
Washed up on the city's west coast on Friday and relaunched on the east coast's Takapuna Beach on Saturday, the orca was spotted high up the inner Waitemata Harbour's Henderson Creek yesterday by a pair of kayakers.
Orca Research staff responded, with police, coastguard and boaties, to try to shepherd the juvenile 4-year-old female to the Hauraki Gulf.
But boat traffic, especially from ferries, further confused the whale, Orca Research Trust founder Dr Ingrid Visser told the Herald.
Time and again people lining Tank Farm's Wynyard Pt watched the orca head out towards the Hauraki Gulf, shepherded by the small flotilla, only to double back towards the Harbour Bridge when a ferry came near.
"Every time we get her lined up, another ferry comes past. And they are very acoustic animals. So every time [a ferry] goes past it has a huge effect."
The whale was lost, but not unhealthy, Dr Visser said, and its behaviour indicated it had every chance of survival if it could make it to the city's nearest orca pod - thought to be just off Waiheke Island last night.
The orca's harbour excursion did not prove the decision to launch it from the east coast was wrong, despite stranding on the west, Dr Visser said.
"The thing that we were really concerned about was that she was very traumatised about getting caught up in the surf. She is very young, and very disoriented. The Manukau Bar is a pretty gnarly bar, and the weather yesterday was atrocious."
Trying to launch the whale on the west coast would almost certainly have left it stricken again, she said.
The orca's beaching did not prove it was unwell, Dr Visser said. New Zealand had the highest rate of orca strandings in the world, about one a year, mostly from hunting errors.
Orca hunted stingray, often into very shallow water, and juveniles sometimes came in too far, she said.
"But we've spent about five hours with her and she's still swimming very strongly. She's just a bit disoriented as to how to get out. And that's understandable. She doesn't have a map in her head of the harbour. Normally she has her family to tell her where to go."
Dr Visser said anybody who lived, worked, jogged, drove or ate lunch near the sea should watch for the orca today, and call the free telephone number, 0800 SEE ORC (0800 733 6722) with information on sightings.
