Why did moko the dolphin die

Most bottlenose dolphins live happily in pods ranging from 2 to But on rare occasions some will seek out the company of humans and shun their dolphin friends. Moko the dolphin did just that. Moko first appeared in Mahia in March He befriended local divers, swimmers and boaties and was named after the nearby Mokotahi headland.

After thrilling locals for more than 2 years he moved to Gisborne and then Whakatane, which became his home for six months. Along the way he made headline news and gained worldwide media attention. In he came to the rescue of two stranded pygmy sperm whales. Rescuers tried repeatedly to refloat the whales only to see them beach on a large sandbar offshore.

Moko the dolphin, who thrilled and sometimes unsettled swimmers with his playfulness and imposing physical size, has been found dead. The 4-year-old bottlenose dolphin was spotted by surfers washed up on Matakana Island, next to Mount Maunganui. The body had lain at the spot for two weeks and was blackened by decomposition, making identification difficult. The Department of Conservation removed it by helicopter yesterday afternoon for examination. But the body was so badly decomposed that the cause of his death may never be known.

Kirsty Carrington, who has spent nearly every day for six months with Moko, said she recognised him by his missing teeth. She was inconsolable when she spoke to the Herald. It's not safe, the vessels, no minders, the fishing nets. It was a beautiful thing to be in the water with him. Mr Butler told the Herald that Moko had looked "perfectly happy, perfectly healthy". The decision settled debate over Moko's final resting place, with northern Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty both vying to host the dolphin's burial.

Moko's many admirers would have a chance to farewell Moko at a memorial service at Mataatua Reserve near Whakatane where his remains will be taken before being buried on the island, Ms Knill said. DOC's Tauranga area manager Andrew Baucke said the decision to bury Moko on the island was made after consulting with local iwi over the weekend.

Moko's death forever a mystery.