A humpback whale of 13m to 15m made a rare detour into the Otago Harbour yesterday, on its way north to warmer waters.
The whale was spotted swimming in the shipping channel between Deborah Bay and Quarantine Island about mid-morning.
Department of Conservation marine ranger Jim Fyfe said it had been 10 years since a humpback was last seen in the harbour.
"We had a good number of humpback sightings along the coast this season," he said, though it was uncommon for them to enter the harbour.
During summer, whales fed in the Antarctic before moving to the tropics to breed during winter.
"It is exciting to see them in the harbour and it's in keeping with the strong wildlife values we have around the Otago Peninsula."
University of Otago marine science researcher Dr Will Rayment, who saw the whale about 11am, said it was a "pretty unusual" sight.
Mr Fyfe recommended people should keep a "good distance" away from whales when in the water, at least 50m, and if in a boat to slow down to less than 5 knots when within 300m of them.
