Scientist who studied dolphins in Kaikōura among 33 dead in California dive boat fire

Dr Adrian Dahood-Fritz, who completed her Masters at Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute, was known for having "a smiling face full of energy." Photo / Polar Woman

A scientist who studied dolphins in Kaikōura was one of 33 passengers who died in a dive boat fire off the coast of Southern California.

Dr Adrian Dahood-Fritz, who completed her masters at Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute, was known for having "a smiling face full of energy".

According to Statesman, the 40-year-old scientist and her husband, both from Michigan, US, were asleep below the deck when the fire started early on Monday (local time).

Only one person remains missing Wednesday (local time) after searchers recovered 33 bodies from the charred underwater wreckage.

In a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook, Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute, where Dahood-Fritz studied, said they were "deeply saddened" by her and her 40-year-old husband's death.

We are deeply saddened at the loss of Adrian Dahood-Fritz and her husband. For her Masters, Adrian did wonderful work...

Posted by Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute - KORI on Wednesday, 4 September 2019

"For her masters, Adrian did wonderful work looking at dusky dolphin feeding behaviour at night," they wrote.

"She also spent many hours recording their daily movements from Haumuri bluffs and by working with Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura to study their distribution.

"She gave a great deal to Kaikoura, always with a smiling face full of energy, before moving on to do incredible work with wildlife and policy in Antarctica."

Ventura County Fire Department, VCFD firefighters respond to a boat fire off the coast of southern California. Photo / AP

Other victims included students from a Northern California charter school serving grades 7-12, an engineer for Apple who went on the trip with his wife and daughter to celebrate the teen's 17th birthday, a special effects designer for Disney, a nature photographer, an Arizona couple and a marine biologist who owned the diving company and was leading the tour, AP reports.