Orcas back for feast of stingrays

Portland kayaker Adam Anderson was inspected by visiting orca Moby in Whangarei Harbour yesterday. Picture / Ingrid Visser

They're back - a pod of up to 20 orcas put in a dramatic appearance in Whangarei Harbour at the weekend..

The mammals spent much of Saturday feasting on stingrays, studying a lone kayaker off Urquharts Bay, and in turn being studied by expert Ingrid Visser and her Argentine colleague, Juan Copello.

Dr Visser said orcas visited shallow harbours in the winter months to hunt stingrays, the orca equivalent of chocolate.

Although orcas briefly checked out the harbour a few weeks ago, Saturday's five-hour hunt was their first serious visit of the season.

The first report came from Ruakaka just after 10am and by noon the pod was in the harbour at Urquharts Bay, where they lunched - carefully - on as many as 50 stingrays.

Another pod was seen off Cape Brett, chasing and eating a common dolphin.

Dr Visser was especially pleased to see some familiar fins, as five members of the pod had been stranded and rescued in the past.

One female had a new calf, while another mother, rescued in 1993, was accompanied by a young orca born in Whangarei Harbour six years ago.

"It was great to see them doing so well," she said.