A day of fishing turned into an unforgettable adventure for three New Zealand men when a young bottlenose dolphin crash-landed onto their small boat. The incident occurred near the picturesque Hole in the Rock, located off the far north coast of New Zealand's North Island, where the men were enjoying the sight of dolphins frolicking ahead of them. The unexpected visitor, weighing more than 400 kilograms (900 pounds) and measuring 3.4 meters (11 feet) in length, brought more than just surprise.
The dolphin, later named Tohu—meaning "sign" in the Māori language—caused significant chaos upon its sudden arrival. As it flailed about, Tohu managed to snap every fishing rod on board and severely damaged the bow of the vessel. Despite the tumultuous encounter, the men escaped largely unscathed, with only one sustaining a minor arm injury.
"This one decided to jump on board and say hello," said Dean Harrison, one of the men involved in the incident.
After realizing the dolphin was still alive and breathing, the men quickly alerted New Zealand's conservation agency. Following their guidance, they set course for a boat ramp an hour away, where agency workers awaited to assist Tohu's safe return to the ocean.
Upon reaching the designated location, members of a local Māori tribe performed prayers for the dolphin. This spiritual send-off preluded Tohu's return to the sea, facilitated by the use of a tractor.
"Because he’s stuck in the boat for now, so he’s coming along for the ride," Harrison noted during the journey.
"The dolphin got to swim away and we got to walk away and we’ve all got a story to tell," Harrison reflected after the incident concluded.
