Tutukaka Coast

Tutukaka Coast Slideshow: Dive! Tutukaka’s trip to Tutukaka, New Zealand (near Whangarei), North Island, New Zealand was created by TripAdvisor. See another Whangarei slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Spirits Bay Pilot Whale Rescue 2010

We left Tutukaka at 6pm to head up north. It is about a 5 hour drive, and we knew we weren't going to get much sleep.

We arrived around 11pm, and saw the glow of headquarters as we headed into the camp ground at Spirits Bay.

Straight away we donned wetsuits, and grabbed kit bags, ready for wherever they needed us most. We were taken to a pod of five whales, and as the full moon cast its shadow, we started.

We had no idea how many there were, or where the other groups were. The faint glow of lights, 2 kilometers down the beach were the only indication of another team hard at work.

Walking across soft sand to the water's edge, and back with buckets, collecting water, and wetting down our whales as they lay on the beach, backwards and forwards, we took turns; wetting our whales, and talking to them as they lay. Essie and I named our whale Babaghanoush, a juvenile, and we sang to her, and stroked her melon. She cried at one point, and I will never forget that sound. 

The hardest was at about 4.30am, calf muscles sore from soft sand, shoulders aching, and blistered fingers. I took Essie, and we crashed at 5.30 in my truck, I curled up in the passenger seat, too tired to take of my dry suit. 7am, I was back awake and ready to head back to the beach. There were whales to save, and this was only the beginning.

The decision was made to move the 24 remaining members of the pod to a lagoon, where we could keep them semi-immersed and wet. The swell was not dropping, and it was getting difficult to even collect the water now. 

The vibration and diga-diga-diga-diga noise of the diggers coming over the dunes, is another sound I will never forget. 

Every whale matted, lifted, transported, lifted and re floated in the lagoon, matted, lifted again, trucked, and lifted to refloat, is a story on its own. 

Once in the lagoon, a marina was created by the digger drivers, and we all shuffled closer and settled our whales for the night. Leaving at 10pm, my alarm was set for 3am, and I was back in the water.  Sleep was not to be mine for another 23 hours.

The moon sinking and the sun rising saw the lagoon filled with people and whales. The trucks arrived and the lifting began again. 

The waiting. The lifting. The trucks. The waiting, and the lifting. Finally at Rarawa Beach late afternoon, and holding the whales in the water. 

“Turn” and “Hold” and then the call “Release”  followed by yelling and banging to herd them out to sea, hard to say good bye, but you really don’t want them back. 

We lost one overnight at Spirits Bay, three on the journey to Rarawa, and seven more who came back ashore. There were possibly 70 in the initial stranding.

But we saved thirteen. I would say that is a lucky number.

To both Project Jonah and DOC who have an impressive selection of generators, lights, tents, pumps, sprayers, and passionate, dedicated people. Thank you.

The two guys from the bar in Oceans at Tutukaka, I said we were going up north, there was a stranding, we needed help. They looked at each other, put down their beers, and drove five hours through the night; no wetsuits, and trudged the water trail, from whale to water’s edge for five hours, before having to head back to Tutukaka for work the next day. Thank you.

I have no idea who this guy was, but he just kept filling our buckets with water. An angel in the moonlight. Thank you.

The pragmatic compassion of the somber guy who is usually called on to euthanize the unlucky whales, spent the night on the beach soothing, talking, wetting, and comforting both humans and whales. Thank you.

To the local marae who turned on hot drinks, food, and shelter, and manaakitanga. When you are standing chest deep in water for hours on end, and a hot sweet cup of milo sustenance is passed to you, it is a lifeline. Thank you. When you stagger back to the lights and the generator, and are given hot soup and sausage in a blanket, you have enough energy for the next leg. Thank you.

To the truck drivers, and the digger drivers; there was no question, and no hesitation, you did what we could not do singlehandedly – lift our whales. Thank you.

Random people I have never seen before, and may never see again, no need for introductions, or small talk, and we didn't need any; no need for social graces, where are you from, what do you do.
Almost a single thread of consciousness was humming; we were there for one thing, and one thing alone; the whales. To those people, thank you. 

My three girls were amazing, Esther, Cinta, and Tianna; 13 year olds were in the water, collecting water, holding and singing to their whales, and touching stars. Thank you.

To Shayni and Tam, my crew, I was humbled to stand beside you. Thank you. 

To Dawn, Luke, Evan and Ben who stayed behind so we could go, thank you.

To Jeroen who made me scrambled eggs the next morning, gave me the time to process all the events and put them in their right place, so I could move on, and picked up the pieces. Thank you.

To Buddy, Roly, and Scarface; you will never be forgotten. To go so far, and to hang on for so long, and only minutes from Rarawa, to succumb, was soul destroying.  To Shayni and Wendy, and those who walked with you, they carry you still. Thank you.

Wilbur was a steady gentleman, who had the power, but also an innate knowledge. Resigned to the time he had to spend on land, and focused on making it as easy as he could for us. He was a caller, taken further out so as to draw the whales to him. In my mind he is free, and he gathered the others. Your gift to me was a marker in the ground, a line in the sand. No life shall be wasted, and every breath is worth the fight.

To Ingrid and Floppy; just two incredible people, limitless and driven. Thank you.

Dive! Tutukaka