About half a dozen orca were seen hunting stingray north of Auckland this morning.
Christopher-Desmond "Des" Roland spotted the pod about 9.30am before jumping in a boat and heading out on to Mahurangi Harbour for a closer look.
He said he could see what looked like two orca calves being taught how to fish by their mum as they chased a "flapping stingray".
The 34-year-old took a series of photos of the pod, which numbered about five or six, and showed them chasing stingray as some scrappy gulls circled overhead.
![The orca chased a stingray in Mahurangi Harbour this morning. Photo / Des Roland](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/L43N6H3VS7VB5FR6GXQH7ACQOA.jpg?auth=0a4d1358d7c04e3fed686f11a4d4e3482b28873f467e58d6e9403141d26649c9&width=16&height=14&quality=70&smart=true)