The Whangarei Town Basin, at the head of the Whangarei Estuary was home to a bottlenose dolphin for over a week. This dolphin, affectionately called ‘Ted’ by the locals (because he/she soon moved further up the river, opposite the Ted Elliot Memorial Pool), was monitored by Dr Ingrid Visser. A hydrophone was lowered into the river to try and detect any calls, but none were audible.
After four days of monitoring Ted, Dr Visser and a colleague, Lewis Parkinson, entered the water to attempt underwater observations to ensure that Ted was not tangled in any ropes, nets, or fishing line. The poor visibility made observations difficult, however after nearly two hours of allowing Ted to swim past them, it was clear that Ted was not entangled in any way. It was not possible to determine if Ted was male or female, but it was clear that the dolphin was not emaciated and appeared to be in good overall health.
Ted left the Whangarei Harbour of his/her own accord.
| Name | Bottlenose dolphin |
|---|---|
| Image |
 |
| Suborder | Odontoceti |
| Family | Delphinidae |
| Max. size - Male | 3.8 m (12.4 ft) |
| Calf size | 1-1.3 m (3.2-4.2 ft) |
| Max. weight - Male | 650 kg |
| Food | generalist feeders taking fish, squid and occasionally crustaceans (e.g., shrimp) |
| Latin name | Tursiops truncatus |
| Location | Whangarei town basin |
|---|---|
| Latitude | -35.71510 |
| Longitude | 174.32806 |
| Number of Whales | 1 |
| Number rescued/saved | 1 |
Ingrid has attended numerous mass and individual strandings. She is experienced in sampling and data collection at these events, and in the use of refloatation Rescue Pontoons and other rescue equipment. She has served on the Board and was a trainer for another stranding rescue group.
To Lewis Parkinson for his help with monitoring Ted the dolphin.
Whale Rescue is a volunteer organisation, run by volunteers. There are lots of different ways that you can help us to continue rescuing whales and dolphins.