The Final Chapter

A Tribute to Moko

Our beautiful dolphin Moko was found dead today and I am devastated.

Moko's body was found this morning on the ocean side of Matakana Island, very near the Tauranga harbour entrance. It would seem that he has been dead for 2-3 weeks and with no obvious injuries everyone is wondering how (and why). Hopefully the necropsy will shed some light, maybe he ingested some rubbish or succumbed to a human virus, perhaps he was hit by a boat or caught in a fishing net. Although we may never know the cause, due to the bad state of his body. I just hope he didn't suffer.

Moko brought so much joy and pleasure to so many people, not only here in New Zealand, but right around the world. A very special dolphin, he will live on in the hearts of many who will hold dear their wonderful memories of Moko. He will also live on in the thousands of photos and videos and will be remembered and talked about for generations to come. Moko was, and will always be, a national treasure, he has become a part of New Zealand history and I feel very privileged to be able to say that I knew him. Thank you Moko for the precious memories.

Rest easy Moko, you were one very special dolphin and may there be a stockpile of boogie boards waiting for you in heaven. Gone from the sea but not from our hearts.

A beautiful poem that describes the joy of swimming with a friendly dolphin;

The Dolphin
by Kate Carr

Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
When the day dawns clear and bright,
And seen his welcoming leap of joy,
As you leave the harbour and pass the buoy?
That's pure delight.
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin,
Dozing under the noonday sun,
and stroked his belly so smooth and strong,
Or felt yourself being towed along
In elfin fun?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
In the sunset's fiery glow,
When every wavelet is tinged with gold,
And his silhouette, so huge and bold,
Is a graceful bow?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
As the silvery moon rides high,
And ocean and earth are bathed in white,
And the dolphin's aglow with a phosphorous light,
As he glides by?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
In the South Sea's rolling swell?
Or a choppy squall, as a cloud passed by,
And a leaden greyness darkened the sky,
And raindrops fell?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
And a boatload of friends of a kind?
The harmony linking you all, and him,
As you tumble out of the boat for a swim -
It blows your mind.
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
And known your panic allayed?
Be it ladders or snorkels - whatever your fear -
Perhaps the oceans depth; once the dolphin's near
You're not afraid.
Yes, I've swum with a friendly dolphin
In the moonlight, the sun and the rain;
And the varying moods of the ocean swell
And my life will never - I know full well -
Be the same again.

Moko Comes to the Big Smoke!

Well it was always on the cards and while I've joked often enough that Moko might make it up the coast and into the Tauranga harbour, I secretly hoped he wouldn't make Mt Maunganui & Tauranga his home. Whakatane has taken such good care of Moko, they were thrown in the deep end with regards to Moko's well being and how to act and react around him. Whakatane has so many passionate people looking out for Moko and through many trials and tribulations they have managed to keep him safe and well and most importantly educate the public on the ways of a cetacean who loves human contact. Let’s hope Tauranga & the Mount people can take a leaf out of our neighbour's book.

Moko arrived in Tauranga harbour yesterday morning (June 3rd) after following the Eskdale, a fishing trawler that had been sheltering at Whale Island off the coast from Whakatane. This was also where Moko had decamped to after torrential rain and flooding in Whakatane over the weekend. The Whakatane River, where Moko spent quite a bit of his time, was in full flood with a lot of logs and debris, and thick with silt, it was no place for an ocean loving dolphin.

The Eskdale

There was also a pod of orca (a dolphin's arch enemy) that had been in the vicinity for a few days. In fact, sadly one of the orca, a teenage male, died and washed ashore on Piripai Spit just a few hundred metres from the Whakatane River entrance.

By sheer coincidence, the Eskdale was the trawler that Moko had followed from Gisborne, around the East Cape to Whakatane back in January. The skipper of the Eskdale believes Moko likes his loud AC/DC music but those that know Moko believe it's the stabilizer bar and large orange buoys that float along beside the trawler. Moko spent a lot of his down time in Whakatane snuggled up with the Evelyn J, a boat that dredges the Whakatane Bar, it has stabilizer bars too. Moko loves to rub his body on the bars and swim alongside them and the chains that hang in the water when the boat's motoring along.

The Eskdale is due to leave Tauranga port this morning on a five day fishing trip & everyone is wondering  if  Moko will follow. The skipper had turned down a $3000 bribe by a tourist operator in Gisborne to get Moko to return to Gisborne. A joke maybe, but I think he was very serious, Moko generates a lot of visitors from out of town and overseas wherever he goes.

Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui. Mt Maunganui (Mauao) is an extinct volcano cone.

I heard around midday that Moko had arrived in town but had to wait until I got home later in the afternoon before I could check out his location. After a short time scanning the harbour with the telescope from our deck I zeroed in on a growing crowd in Pilot Bay. Usually this wouldn't indicate anything other than a lot of families and people walking and sunning themselves in the late afternoon sunshine on one of the most popular beaches in New Zealand. But it's June and it's winter and the sun was setting. There were quite a number of people in the water along with even more scattered along the shoreline. And they all seemed to walking one way in unison and then back the other and then back again. More slinky black shapes joined the group, wetsuits obviously. A sure indication that Moko was in their midst.

I grabbed my camera and jacket, shouted out departing goodbyes (I should have been bathing and feeding our granddaughter her dinner before she returned home, instead her father finished the job for me. I know Pete understands my passion for Moko) and headed to the Mount in 5pm rush hour traffic. My Mate Moko couldn't come to town, my town and have me miss him. The sun was sinking fast but I knew I had to see him tonight just in case it was a brief visit and he'd be gone in the morning. Eight minutes later and a silent thankyou to the powers that be for the new flyover and second harbour bridge and I was pulling into a parking spot in Pilot Bay.

Sure enough in knee deep water I caught sight of that familiar fin. Moko was playing to his audience and they were thoroughly enjoying it. Squeals and shouts, laughter and chatter filled the air. Up and down he swam, in and out. I could see he had a bottle balanced on his nose at one stage, playing his old games with his new fans. Fetch and chase. I also saw a couple of tail slaps, Moko letting someone know he doesn't appreciate some things like being cuddled or having his fin held onto. Oh they have a lot to learn. I smiled when a guy on a wave ski paddled into the middle, all bravo and "look at me, I’m cool", Moko soon tipped him off his board. Again. And again. "You won't win mate" I felt like shouting to him. The paddler finally lifted his board clear of Moko and made his way back to shore.

Oops, over you go!

I spotted the familiar profile of a person outlined in the gloom of dusk, she was standing at the back of the group in the water, carefully watching, waiting and offering advice when needed. I breathed a sigh of relief, a Moko minder from Whakatane. Now that is dedication. Thankfully she will be able to impart some of her immense knowledge of Moko to new minders if Moko decides to stay.

The sun sets behind the Kaimais

Tauranga harbour is not actually a great place for a dolphin to take up residence. Too many fast pleasure boats, a lot of large fishing trawlers coming and going, huge international ships and powerful tug boats, a very narrow shipping lane with a 24/7 working log and container port, large expanses of tidal mudflats not to mention the extremely narrow entrance into the harbour through which all water traffic large, small and with fins must pass.

Tauranga Harbour entrance ~ Pilot Bay to the left around the corner,
Tauranga city straight ahead and Matakana Island on right

A yacht sailing through the Entrance on a very fast outgoing tide

 

                                           The Mount base track

 

 Tangaroa, Maori god of the sea stands guard at the Entrance

So in the fading light with the beautiful silhouette of our special Mauao as a backdrop and an extra special treasure in the water below I said a silent goodbye to Moko. I’m so please that Moko paid a visit but I hope Moko decides the Big Smoke isn't for him. And once again I say "stay safe Moko, my mate"

Oh No, Not More Moko!

I had my nephew Leighton staying with me for some of the school holidays and I thought it would be great to take him to swim with Moko. Wouldn't that be a tale to tell when he returned to his Napier school next week. It was also a great excuse for me to catch up with Moko again!

I’d checked the forecast and saw that either Thursday or Friday would be good. Sunny days and calm seas. We decided on Friday and although it dawned bright and sunny there was a stiff cold southwester blowing. Not too much of a problem as this would mean an off shore breeze to flatten the waves if Moko was in the sea at Otarawairere Bay or West End Beach. If he was in the river it was going to be a chilly encounter.

We made good time travelling the 90kms from Tauranga to Whakatane in just over an hour. It’s a lovely scenic stretch of road that passes through the green orchards and shelter belts of Te Puke, the Kiwifruit Capital of the World.

 

Kiwifruit Orchard

Then out along the coast which has wonderful views across the Bay of Plenty, with the islands of Motiti, Plate and Whale just off shore and the volcanic White Island a bit further out. There are some great beach communities along the way; Maketu, Pukehina, Matata, and Thorndon. Along the Matata Straights are hundreds of huge pohutukawa trees that hang precariously off the white cliffs, in early summer they make a wonderful sight all decked out in crimson red.

 

Matata Beach & Whale Island

 Finally the road takes us across the river flats and past the multitude of dairy farms that stretch from the back blocks of Edgecumbe right up to the edge of the sand dunes on the coast.

 

The extinct volcano cone of Mount Edgecumbe

As we cross the Whakatane River we take a quick peek to see if there are any people about. Moko has been known to be this far up the river some days. No one in sight today. Later, on our way home, we see a couple of DOC vehicles and a car from a local Maori Trust parked at the bridge. It would have given me more of a fright had I not just left Moko but we can see a group of people huddled around something on the river bank close to the water's edge. I wonder what has died, maybe a seal.....

Unfortunately the twitters and Moko updates had hit a snag earlier in the week and there was silence from that quarter, I was on my own. Luckily I had enough knowledge to be able to work out where Moko might be hanging out. First port of call was down near the river mouth; I drove through town to the playground on the river bank. Moko can quite often be found at Piripai Spit which is across on the other side of the river opposite the playground. I was hoping he wasn’t going to be there as it’s near impossible to get across to the other side unless you can catch a boat or are a very good swimmer. I forgot my binoculars but I could make out a couple of small tinnies and a few people walking over the dunes but no one swimming in the river which I assumed meant no Moko.

Across the Whakatane River

Back in the car our next stop was Otarawairere Bay, though not quite, I thought it would be worth a stop at the iSite to see if they had heard anything this morning. “Not a word” the friendly guy said “but if you find him can you let us know?” Well, maybe.

Up over the hill we drove and took the short trip into Otarawairere village to check if there were any cars at the head of the track down into the bay. This would be a good indication if Moko was down there, on my other visits there have been anything up to 20 cars parked in this quiet little cul-d-sac. Today there wasn’t a vehicle in sight! Great, that saved me a strenuous walk. I was almost certain Moko wasn’t at Otarawairere Bay.

Only one more place to check out, West End Beach at Ohope, before it would be back to the river for a bit more of a thorough search upstream. I wasn’t holding out much hope as although Moko has hung out at West End before he’s mostly been discouraged as he steals the surfers boards and generally makes a nuisance of himself.

As we drove down the beach front we couldn’t quite make out whether the little black dots we could see out in the waves at the end of the bay were regular surfers or people swimming. If they were swimmers then this was unusual as it’s now autumn and the water is quite chilly and not that inviting. Once we got to the carpark at the end of the road we could see that they were indeed swimmers and if I needed any more convincing that Moko was out there somewhere the carpark was full of Mums, Dads and kids in various stages of undress as they fought their way into and out of a wide assortment of swimwear and wetsuits! Another check of the waves and sure enough I spotted Moko’s fin in amongst the small gathering of kids and adults.

West End Beach, Ohope

We’d found him and now the race was on to get into our swimwear and get out there. I get the same anxious feeling every time I find him, wondering if Moko might decide he’s had enough and be off out to sea  before I'm ready to join him. I needn’t have worried, we had plenty of time. He was still happily playing in the breakers two hours later when I left.

We both had our wetsuits and reef shoes on and I’d have to say they were needed although I still think the water was quite a bit warmer than usual for this time of the year. After the initial gasp as the water seeps in between the gaps it was toasty warm, I could have quite happily stayed out there all day. Leighton only had a summer weight wetsuit with shorter sleeves and legs so he did get a bit cold towards the end. He also nabbed my noodle to support him in the water, I hadn't thought to bring my second one. Oh well, I'm sure there would be plenty for Moko to play with anyway.

Leighton ready to hit the waves!

It was also obvious why Moko was at West End too. This little corner of the beach was very sheltered from the stiff southwester that was blowing; the waves were mostly very small with the occasional big one thrown in to keep those of us with cameras on our toes and to give Moko a chance to show us his surfing skills!

It was the last Friday of the school holidays and there were plenty of children out with their parents who were enjoying seeing, touching and playing with Moko.

There were lots of people swimming in their clothes or their underwear as well as wetsuits and togs. One lady caused much mirth amongst her friends when she arrived at their sides wearing just a G-string and a shirt, luckily(for her and us) Moko was hanging out at in about thigh deep water! Moko obviously has that effect on people, they’ve just got to seize the opportunity and get in and swim with him.

I heard one English lady (swimming in her clothes) say that this had got to be the highlight of not only her NZ holiday but of her lifetime. She could not believe that she was able to just wade out off a beautiful beach on a beautiful sunny day and not only see a dolphin but have him allow her to stroke him too. It was such a privilege and a memory she would treasure forever.

Moko seemed to be enjoying all the attention and was quite happily swimming in and around us all and sharing himself around everyone.

He’d play for a bit with one toy and then move on to another. For most of the time everyone gave him his space and patiently waited until he chose to come over to them. Some couldn't quite reach him even with Mum's help-

Every so often Moko would speed away through the water to catch a wave, he enjoyed surfing the waves beside the odd body surfer who managed to ride the wave in too. Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces and laughter, Moko is a real tonic. How could you not smile watching his antics?

A dinghy came around the point at one stage and you could hear a collective sigh of disappointment as Moko took off towards it.
 

He had obviously heard the outboard, then they dropped their anchor way out in the deep and we thought that was it. Moko has a love affair with anchor chains, it’s thought this is why he has lost eight teeth during his stay in Whakatane. He grabs the chains and has been known to drag smaller boats through the water. The people on board this dinghy were obviously here to play with Moko as we spotted a rigid noodle being thrown over the side. But before long they must have realised that there were quite a number of disappointed people in closer to shore and to their credit they ran the dinghy up on the beach and came over to us where Moko had returned to play.

While my nephew was keen to visit Moko, Moko obviously didn’t have the same appeal to Leighton as he has to me. I looked around at one point to see where Leighton was and spotted him surfing the waves in closer to the shore. When he came back out to me I asked him if he was enjoying himself. He said yes it was cool body surfing!  Leighton said he’d managed to stroke Moko once but that was enough for him……."and when would we be able to get something to eat?"  I guess not everyone is smitten with Moko.

You think you're cold Leighton, just look a those girls on their brothers shoulders! -

So after a few dozen photos and two hours of play with Moko I said my farewell with a long stroke down the length of his body as he slowly swam past and then I reluctantly dragged myself out of the water and back to the beach to collect our belongings. There were still plenty of people to keep him company.

Back at the carpark we were able to have a quick cold shower before peeling off our wetsuits and shivering into our clothes. I like West End, at least you can have a shower and change before hitting the road again. Back in the car I had to pull forward into the front row for one last lingering look at Moko playing in the waves. For a brief moment he was by himself, I could see his silhouette skimming along the crest of a wave then he was gone. See you next time Moko, stay safe.

We had a quick snack and a drink in the car but I still had a hungry lad beside me who had the Golden Arches in sight but sadly for him we were not going to be stopping there if I could help it. We headed out of town and soon we were pulling into a very busy Whitehouse Café where I’d stopped for morning tea the last time I was in Whakatane. A flat white for me and a very big bowl of chips(fries) for him which we both devoured and still there were plenty left. If you are ever passing the café do stop for a bite to eat, the ladies in there are some of the friendliest I have come across in my travels. They are all a credit to the business.

This Pouwhenua(carved pole) stands just along from the cafe outside the Puawairua Marae

It was quiet ride home; Moko, sun and salt water seem to have that effect on me. Worn out but happy with our day we arrived home in time to relax and check out the photos before dinner time.

Thanks again Moko for a magical day, I have been lucky with every encounter so far, I’ve managed to locate him every time and in the two places I enjoy the most; Otarawairere Bay and West End. Perhaps next time it will finally be the river. Are there eels in there?

Here are four short YouTube links for the video clips I took on Friday-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ1UPGDjfGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcU8hlwNuHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcG_RmqAYXM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NUEvgzIy7Y

It’s Moko Time Again

I thought after my last encounter that it would be enough to satisfy my desire to meet and swim with Moko but I was wrong, I’m definitely hooked on Moko, he’s got under my skin and I'm a Moko groupie! I’ve continued to check his blog, watch the YouTube clips that regularly appear, scan the many photos and read as people post about their varied experiences of meeting and swimming with Moko.

When I indicated to a girlfriend that I was thinking of heading over to Whakatane again she was quick to say she’d love to come and meet Moko too so we arranged to travel across there last Friday, March 19th. I had still been receiving tweets as to where Moko was each day and after checking the weather forecast we left Tauranga at 8am confident that it was going to be a good day. There was quite a bit of cloud cover and a slight autumnal chill in the air, the sea temperature had also taken a dive over the last few days dropping 2-3 degrees as a southerly rushed up the country. No problems though, we were secure in the knowledge that we had our wetsuits with us. As we headed down the coast we could see a definite band where the dark cloud gave way to brilliant blue sky, we were in luck.

We stopped for coffee and a muffin at the Whitehouse Café and Gallery just outside Whakatane right beside the SH2 intersection with Thorndon Road. Great service, very friendly staff and tasty muffins straight out of the oven, this was a good start to the day.

I had been expecting to have a tweet on my mobile by now letting me know where Moko was but so far not a word. Of all the days this was the one that I needed some info, and fast! As back up to the tweet I had access to some local “inside knowledge”, a mobile phone number I could text, I sent one off and we headed into Whakatane.

Moko had been at Otarawairere Bay the previous two days but I thought we’d head down to the river first before committing ourselves to the steep walk into the bay. Still no texts had arrived so we popped into the iSite (information centre) which is very strategically placed high up on the river bank with glorious views up and down the river. A very helpful guy told us that Moko was at The Heads about ½ an hour ago. Back in the car I received a text from my inside source to say that Moko had moved on and at this stage no one knew where he’d gone. Drat. Oh well. Let the waiting game begin.

Have you seen Moko?

How about you?

I don't suppose you've seen Moko?

We parked up further down towards The Heads and watched the world go by for another half hour or so, we saw Kirsty and the Moko Mobile (small inflatable) heading down the river and then back up again, obviously checking on his whereabouts too.

Whakatane River

We then moved right to the end of the road and watched a few fishermen on the breakwater and a couple of boats come in across the notorious Whakatane River bar.

The tide had just turned and there was quite a swell running and some large breakers, perhaps Moko wasn’t keen to ride them into the river again. It’s thought that the river bar is one of the reasons Moko is still calling Whakatane home, there are no large fishing trawlers located here, it’s too difficult for them to cross the bar. Most of the boats are local and if Moko follows them out to sea for the day he also follows them home again. Unlike the trawlers that move from port to port in their quest for fish.

Looking towards the Heads and the Whakatane River bar

“Whakatane (to act as a man) - This story springs from the 12th Century Great Migration. The women of the Mataaua Canoe, left to themselves when the men went ashore for the first time, found a waka(canoe) drifting out to sea again.

The paddles were tapu(forbidden) to women, but a high spirited teenager, Wairaka, who was the daughter of Chief Toroa, boldly seized one of the paddles and paddled the waka back to shore. As she did this, she shouted, Ka Whakatane au i ahau:, and her actions saved the women but also coined the name of the town.

A bronze statue of Wairaka stands on a rock at the Whakatane Heads to commemorate this act.” 

 

After an hour or so I was starting to wonder if maybe we had picked the wrong day after all. I spoke to Kirsty and she had located Moko out at sea, he’d started to follow her back to the river but as she’d crossed the bar he headed back out again. She collected a fellow Moko friend from the boat ramp and was heading around to Otarawairere. We made the decision to head over there too. He was either going to be there or perhaps at West End Beach in Ohope.

We parked in the tiny Otarawairere village at the top of the walk, I was pleased to see a new DOC sign that hadn’t been there the last time I came indicating all the dos and don’ts of swimming with Moko. This is good as there are so many more people seeking Moko out, some have never swum in the sea let alone with a wild animal. Once again I wonder whether Moko’s fame will eventually be his downfall. I sincerely hope not.

We make our way down the track and my girlfriend notes “that it is rather steep isn’t it?” Of course she is imagining what it will be like on the long haul back up afterwards! I tell her at least with this track it’s only one down and one up, unlike the track that comes over from Ohope where first you have to go up, then down and the reverse on the way home. We do think those DOC(Department of Conservation) workers have long legs though (or perhaps it’s the PD workers getting their own back) you need climbing axes on some of the steps, they’re three times the height of regular steps!

 

Is this up or down................it's actually looking down.

There's is some beautiful native bush down this track and today the tui are calling all over the place, a few fantails are flitting along beside us as we make our way down and silvereyes and other tiny birds are twittering away close at hand.

 

Down on the beach we search out Moko’s buoy over the far side of the bay and sure enough we can make out half a dozen heads and just as many noodles and boogie boards. Moko must be in residence!

The tide is on the way out leaving just enough clearance across the rocks that protect his little beach. We pass two or three groups of people picking their way around the rocks, a couple with bare feet are having a slow and difficult time. It pays to come prepared, footwear is a no brainer.

We locate a dry spot up behind the tide line and settle our gear onto a large piece of driftwood. I dab my feet in the water and find that it’s still surprisingly warm, this I was not expecting. I decide I won’t need to fight my way into my wetsuit after all. 

While we were changing and getting things organized a lady came up to us and asked if we knew “so and so”. It turned out that “so and so” was the girlfriend right there beside me. My girlfriend had known this lady from Switzerland was visiting NZ and in fact the lady was going to be staying with her for a couple of nights.

My friend had sent my first blog post to the lady and she’d made the decision to add Whakatane to her itinerary hoping she’d have the chance of meeting Moko. It was pure coincidence that she was there on the same day as us! She had recognised me from the blog, little knowing that the person with me was her New Zealand contact. It is indeed a small world. In the three hours that we were there, I talked to a couple from France, a guy from Israel, an English couple and I heard another couple of different accents plus of course the lady from Switzerland. A real multi-national bunch of people.

Moko was having a lot of fun with the 10 or so people in the water, chasing boards, noodles and seaweed. He was full of beans zipping here, there and everywhere saying a quick hello to anybody new that entered the water. It was great that every now and then Moko would interact exclusively with one or two people, this gave them the chance to touch him and say hello. Some people were a little apprehensive and when he was darting in and out they stood back a bit just observing.

Others stuck to him like glue!

How many toys does one dolphin need? Lots! (actually not too many as he becomes distracted and possessive)

Of course there were other people that couldn’t just let go of him, not as in holding on to him, just sticking beside him to the exclusion of some of the more timid swimmers. I did think it was unfair of a couple of swimmers who when they couldn’t hold Moko’s attention in amongst the people, decided to swim off into the deep and away from the group drawing Moko away with their splashing. If they had just stopped where they were and waited, Moko would have found his way to them. They were trying to get a friend to take photos of them and Moko. As it was, I bet all their photos show is two little black heads and one tiny fin they were so far out (I even wonder if they got the fin).

Kirsty and her mate Moko with his favourite toy

It wasn’t too long before the first of three launches, full of people, pulled into the bay and anchored beside Moko’s buoy.

As soon as Moko heard the motors as the boat came around the reef he was off, heading straight for his buoy and the boat, he loves playing with the anchor chain. Most of the shore swimmers had to sit it out on beach until the boat left although as the tide dropped it got easier to swim out there with him.

Patiently waiting for Moko's return

I had my fins and snorkel and went out to him at the boat. The water was quite murky so you couldn’t see too much but some of the boat swimmers were diving down the anchor chain and Moko would follow suit right beside them. When he got to the seabed Moko would lay on his back looking up.

I wonder what he finds so fascinating with the chain and why he lays on his back; although I believe the chain noise has something to do with it. I think he feels that all these people having fun beside him are his pod and he’s just doing what his pod is doing; squawking, leaping and diving! It was good to see Moko having so much fun in the deep and doing what dolphins do; diving and leaping about.

He kept disappearing, the ocean was flat calm and everybody would be twisting & turning scanning & trying to locate him. Then suddenly he’d appear again right beside someone surprising the hell out of the person, on one occasion he came up right underneath my friend who was floating about on her noodle. She got the fright of her life as she was nearly upended!

Moko what are you doing?

The Moko Mobile waiting on shore, swimmers out at the boat

Once the boat left Moko followed everybody back into the shallows but it wasn’t long before another boat arrived and he was away again. 

Kirsty tried unsuccessfully to distract Moko from swimming over to the boat, you can see his dorsal fin is pointing in the wrong direction- 

 

I wonder whether the skippers of these boats know that they’re not actually giving their swimmers the best opportunity of interacting with Moko. Most had people on board that got into the water, if these swimmers had been dropped closer or swum in closer to the shore they would be able to stand, touch him for longer than the quick swim past he does in the deep and also see him a lot better as the water is clearer closer in.

It didn’t worry me, I’ve seen him in various situations now but I feel for the older or less than confident swimmers that walk into the Bay and then don’t get the chance to swim with him. I know he’s a wild animal and he’ll go where he chooses but no matter how we look at it, humans are more or less dictating where he plays and who he plays with when he's in a playful mood. This is much more obvious than the last time I visited. I also notice that Moko has many more marks on his dorsal fin and along both sides of his body than the last time I saw him too. Another negative caused by his success. 

Moko made some very loud grunting noises under water when he met this gentleman as he dug under his feet-  

The last boat left and Moko came into play once again. This time he was very pleased with the large lump of seaweed someone had found for him. He chased it about and was very proficient at keeping it over his head and beak while dashing about.

Very soon he seemed to tire of all the play and made a beeline back out to his buoy where he popped his beak up on the rope and took a break. Unfortunately a few swimmers couldn’t or wouldn’t read Moko’s signs that he was tired. They swam out after him.
 

The Moko Mobile had left by this time but luckily another frequent Moko swimmer was there and paddled out after them to let them know what was happening. Moko was ready for a sleep.

We packed up our belongings and made our way slowing back around the shoreline reluctant to call it a day.

 

"So you found Moko then?"

We passed three more foreign couples making their way down the track, I offered them information on Moko about him sleeping and that he wouldn’t be doing it for too long if they waited patiently for him to come into the shallows and also the tide times so they didn't get caught out on the rocks.

Here is a YouTube clip from some of the afternoon. You'll have to excuse the speed wobbles occasionally, I usually use my digital camera to take videos but unfortunately that was away overseas so I used the HandyCam video instead which does give a clearer picture but it didn't help that I stepped into a hole on a couple of occasions and zoomed in rather quick on others. I am also learning the tricks of uploading the files from the DVD disk to the computer which is rather complicated too so I haven't done any editing but all in all it's a pretty good for a first attempt-

 

Swimming with Moko

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP9o-m_kQV0

Things to watch for-

0.30sec- Watch the guy shadow Moko with his camera, he's stuck to him like glue! :)

1.10min- Moko bats away the noodle with quite a force

2.00min- Moko tries to toss a swimmer off their boogie board

3.25min- The guy in the red shorts gets the message from Moko, "Get out of my face"

3.30min- Watch a guy take a self portrait of him and Moko

3.50min- Moko hunts out his own seaweed clump to play with

4.20min- Listen for the "dreadlocks" comment :)

I had another incredible day with Moko although I’d have to say the first weekend with him was extra special, nothing beats that one on one experience. With his popularity has come more people and more problems. It would seem everyone wants a piece of Moko  and once again I worry what the outcome will be. There are many people looking out for Moko and I can only hope he stays safe, sound and happy. I also wonder how he will cope over the coming winter months, I know those that care about Moko won’t abandon him but there will be less and less people for him to play with. I wonder where that will lead him. Maybe I’m attaching human emotions to a dolphin but I think he’ll be bewildered and lost at the sudden lack of friends.

Lucky I have a winter weight wetsuit……

Until next time, stay safe Moko.