A Port Otago harbour control spokesman said at about 1pm on Saturday Anastasia, a commercial fishing boat, reported a large orca following the vessel along the Aramoana cross-channel.
It followed the boat all the way up to Tayler Point, which by then Monarch, a wildlife cruise vessel, had also spotted the marine mammal joined by a calf.
The first glimpse Anastasia skipper Rex Olsen said he got of the orca was a lone fin protruding from the water close to his boat.
He said the orca was about 12m long — as long if not larger than the boat itself.
"I kept an eye on it and it was up in front of me.
"It was quite a big fish and it just sort of surfaced beside me about 20 or 30 feet [6m-9m away]."
It then followed him as he was returning to the harbour, swimming alongside him for a while before slowing down and surfacing behind him every now and then, he said.
Mr Olsen said there were likely a lot of orcas that fishing vessels did not get to see, so it was good to have spotted one on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
"It’s quite nice to see it up the harbour this time of year. [It] made a pleasant ending for the day for me."
"I saw them in the distance and we just came to a dead stop and they continued and swam past."
Mr Kyle said the male was "quite a large orca" and while he did not see a female, he expected the family pod was in the area.
The male surfaced three or four times then moved at a steady pace towards Quarantine Island, where Mr Kyle suspected they were off to hunt.
"In the past I’ve had them swim right under the Monarch and they just have a look at us and carry on.
"There’s nothing to be concerned about — you just admire them as they pass by."
"If they come to you that’s another issue, but the standard guidance is safe speed, don’t pursue them and try to stay 300m away," Mr Rushbrook said.
tim.scott@odt.co.nz , PIJF cadet reporter
