Ante la mirada atónita de un miembro del departamento de Conservación del Gobierno, 'Moko' orientó a los cetáceos unos doscientos metros mar adentro.
El experto Malcolm Smith explicó que los hechos ocurrieron el lunes, cuando se había pasado más de una hora intentando animar a las ballenas, una madre y su cría, para que dieran media vuelta y volvieran a mar abierto, informó la agencia neozelandesa NZPA.
Los cetáceos lo intentaron una y otra vez pero quedaron atrapados en un banco de arena frente a la playa sin poder salir al océano, por lo que Smith empezó a valorar la posibilidad de sacrificarles para ahorrarles el sufrimiento.
"Las ballenas estaban desorientadas y exhaustas, tenían la espalda arqueada y se llamaban la una a la otra continuamente", relató Smith.
Entonces llegó un delfín que a menudo visita la playa y es conocido por los locales como "Moko", y en ese momento las dos ballenas se sumergieron en el agua, giraron y siguieron al animal unos doscientos metros mar adentro, logrando superar la larga barrera de arena que las mantenía encalladas.
El delfín regresó a la playa de Mahia, al este de la isla, para jugar con los locales, dijo Smith, quien aseguró que nadie ha vuelto a ver a las ballenas.
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Friendly dolphin saves whales
A Playful New Zealand dolphin used to swimming with humans has amazed conservationists by guiding two distressed whales back to sea.
The dolphin led the two pygmy sperm whales 200 meters along the beach and through a channel to the open sea, Department of Conservation worker Malcolm Smith said today.
The two whales, a mother and her young calf, were found stranded on Mahia Beach, on North Island's east coast on Monday morning, Smith said.
"We worked for over an hour to try to get them back out to sea ... but they kept getting disorientated and stranding again'' after swimming into a large sandbar just off the shore, he said.
"They obviously couldn't find their way back past it to the sea,'' Smith said.
Four attempts by volunteers to refloat the pair failed and it was becoming highly likely they would have to be euthanised, he said.
Then the dolphin, named Moko by local residents, swam up.
"It was looking like it was going to be a bad outcome for the whales which was very disappointing and then Moko just came along and fixed it.''
Smith said it was quite possible Moko had heard the whales calling.
"The whales were quite distressed. They had arched their backs and were calling to one another, but as soon as the dolphin turned up they submerged into the water and followed her,'' he said.
"She obviously gave them enough guidance to leave the area because we haven't seen them since,'' Smith said.
"The things that happen in nature never cease to amaze me.''
Moko returned to the beach shortly afterward.
The playful dolphin swam straight back close to shore and joined in water games with local residents, he added.
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