More than a hundred people gathered to catch a rare glimpse of a pod of orcas that entered Napier's inner estuary this morning.
Project Jonah NZ, a marine mammal protection organisation, said they were alerted to the situation just before 10am.
"We're currently working with the Department of Conservation and local iwi to monitor a pod of orca that have entered the inner estuary in Napier," a spokesperson said.
Moment orca pod delights onlookers in rare visit to Napier estuary - watch on TVNZ+
"This area is made up of very shallow channels and sand flats and while orca are known to explore New Zealand’s estuaries, this is a challenging spot for them to navigate."
With the incoming tide, the pod were eventually able to swim back out to sea – but not before attracting some fanfare.
Local photographer Kirsten Simcox told 1News she was out shooting before a woman on a bike came to spread the word.
"There were big crowds gathering at the Pandora pond and here were these orca right in front of us," she said.
"Everyone was very respectful and just kind of in awe of what they were seeing in front of them."
Project Jonah said a calm environment was needed to give the killer whales the best chance of leaving safely.
"Thank you to all who helped monitor the situation, our local Marine Mammal Medics and everyone who gave the orca lots of space this morning."
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