Wellington Police are reminding whale-watchers they cannot stop their cars on the motorway to try to catch a glimpse of the city's "celebrity mammal".
People have taken to parking up on the motorway shoulder over the past few days after a rare southern right whale made itself at home in the Wellington Harbour.
Excited locals have been flocking to the waterfront to watch the whale, which has been playfully breaching in the harbour since Tuesday, when it was first spotted.
But some people are choosing unsafe places to stop for a look.
"We understand that people are keenly interested in viewing our special harbour visitor, and we certainly don't want to stand in the way of that," a police spokesperson said.