Two southern right whales swimming in waters north of Auckland have given conservationists new hope the endangered species might be making a comeback.
The mother and calf were seen just a few hundred metres off Waiwera this afternoon, giving Department of Conservation works the perfect opportunity to get close up close and personal with the rare mammals.
Conservationists are trying to determine whether New Zealand has its own sub-population of the endangered species and are taking skin samples from every individual whale they find.
"We're able to match the DNA profile against a catalogue of other DNA samples that can allow us to know where the whale has come from," explains marine ranger Martin Stanley.
Southern right whales were so named because whalers found them to be the right ones to hunt as they floated after they were killed.
And after being all but wiped out by hunters, there are now indications that the species is making a slow recovery.
"Part of the reason we're doing the research is to find out who's related to who and get a better indication of the population size," says DOC's Biodiversity Programme Manager Thelma Wilson.
Human harassment, fishing and coastal development are still threats to the cetaceans, but Waiwerea residents say they are happy to keep their distance if it means being to be able to continue watching the magnificent mammals.
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