Moko is Missing

"...To the dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage"
— Plutarch

I am so glad I made the effort to see Moko in Pilot Bay Thursday evening, the day he arrived in Tauranga Harbour. Because, as I predicted, it was my only chance. Moko has disappeared without trace.

The sun sets on Moko at the Mount

I had heard anecdotal evidence that he was in the harbour on Friday and Saturday and was seen with surfers near one of the ocean beaches at one stage but none of the regular Moko swimmers had managed to locate him. And he certainly didn’t attract attention to himself with reports of only a couple of kayakers playing with him near the Sanford wharf. This was actually good news as Saturday was the first day of a long holiday weekend and the worry was a huge crowd gathering to play with and touch Moko, most never having been in the presence of a friendly dolphin and not knowing the protocol of interacting with him.

Unfortunately I was unable to search in any great depth for him on either of these days due to prior engagements; child minding & visiting family. I was able to do a quick drive around some of the likely places that he might be at on both days though but I had no luck either. I also walked the Mount’s base track on Saturday morning keeping a watchful eye out for any unusual activity on the water and in Pilot Bay. And from home I scanned the harbour with the telescope regularly just in case I caught sight of a lone leaping dolphin looking for company.



Tauranga Harbour

Tauranga harbour is huge with many large estuaries, streams and rivers entering it and a number of small islands. There are only two entrances, one at either end of Matakana Island which forms a 20km long natural barrier against the open ocean. There are many places that Moko could have swum to although I don't expect he would have gone any higher than Omokoroa, a harbour side settlement located on a small peninsula that juts into the harbour about half way up. Just beyond Omokoroa the tidal mudflats reach right acorss the harbour with only a small shallow channel that allows access at high tide to the upper reaches.


Matakana Island & the Pacific Ocean

Motuhoa Island to the left & Omokoroa to the right



Tauranga City

Sulphur Point Marina & Mt Maunganui



Harbour Bridge Marina



Main Beach, Pilot Bay & the harbour stretching away in the background

A storm blew up overnight on Saturday with Sunday dawning grey & misty with torrential rain and gale force winds, a totally miserable day on land and out on the water. I went for a drive and searched methodically, right around the inner harbour and along the ocean beaches. I stopped and checked all the boat ramps, up and down both sides of the two major estuaries, the commercial fishing wharves at Sulphur Point and Dive Cres, along The Strand and under the Matapihi rail bridge, the Sulphur Point and Harbour Bridge marinas along with all the moored boats and unoccupied buoys throughout the harbour.



Sulphur Point boat ramp & marina

The Strand, Tauranga



Sulphur Point

Sanfords fishing fleet

Even the oystercatchers were hove-too into the wind

Then I moved on over to The Mount checking Salisbury Wharf and Pilot Bay, the Main Beach, Tay Street and Omanu beaches and a few extra beach spots in between and then retracing the same route back home just in case Moko had decided to make an appearance after I’d left. Moko certainly wouldn’t have been anywhere along the ocean beach as it was very rough with a large swell and messy waves.


A deserted Pilot Bay

Main Beach, Mt Maunganui

It was actually good that it was a dismal day out as I would have seen less than a dozen people during my search. There was absolutely no one about, near or on the water. It would have made it easy to spot Moko if someone had managed to locate him and had been playing with him. You would certainly have had to have a good reason to be paddling, boating or swimming on a day like this and Moko would have been a very good reason indeed.

Sadly I had no luck and after two hours of searching I headed home. There was no luck either for a few other dedicated Moko friends who had travelled up from Whakatane to search. Eskdale, the fishing trawler that had caused all the problems was still tied up at the wharf although the rumour mill was working overtime and had it leaving at various times over the next few days. In fact it was still tied up there along with a few other trawlers that arrived over the weekend after a very rough time at sea.


Dive Cres Commercial Wharf

There were various reports of Moko making his way back to Whakatane and of being spotted at Thornton, a beach settlement down the coast but none of them could be called trustworthy, there has been so much inaccurate information out there and from what should be reliable sources; the media and DOC (Dept of Conservation). Just more dashed hopes for all the people waiting to hear that Moko had been located safe and sound.

And while we all have a great affection for Moko I think I can safely say that everyone’s long term hope is that Moko has returned to the ocean in search of a pod and a female dolphin to call his own. Until we hear otherwise I guess we can only dream that this has indeed happened.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday I followed the same routine, a drive around all the possible spots, re-checking that the Eskdale was still in port and scanning the harbour and Pilot Bay at least a dozen times during the day through the telescope…..just in case. The last two days the harbour has been a mill pond and it’s been easy for me to follow boats and yachts along the channels hoping to catch sight of a lone leaping dolphin. I even followed the pilot boat in through the entrance a couple of times along with the ships shortly afterwards and then the tugs who came to meet them. Still no luck.

Today (Friday) my only check was the Eskdale (still in port) while I was out on another errand although I still couldn’t help checking the harbour every time I passed the telescope. And then this evening, another drive by to check that the Eskdale was still there(she was) after a call from some Moko friends who had heard (once again) that she had left port and was heading back to Whakatane.



The Eskdale

I feel for sure that Moko has headed out to the open ocean, perhaps on Saturday night before the storm hit. He would surely have made his presence known to anybody out on the water this past week. He has a habit of annoying the hell out of paddlers, surfers, and boaties; head butting their hulls and stealing their paddles and boards and there has been no word of this.



Moko with a stolen board at Ohope

I hope and pray that he is safe and happy wherever he has gone. He may well pop up again in the not too distant future and not too far away. When he was in Mahia he went missing for days on end (and sometimes a few weeks) before showing up again. But there he didn’t have the intense and constant interaction with people that he’s been having in Whakatane. He must surely be missing his adoring playmates and minders and I know that they are all missing him very much.

Moko you are one very special dolphin, my mate. You have had such a huge and profound impact on many lives, we all will miss you dearly but we wish you well. It’s been a wonderful privilege to meet you and I am so glad I managed to see you when you made your brief visit to my town. Was it good-bye? I hope not.

"There is something about dolphins.
It is difficult to put into words..."
— Mark Carwardine