Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/47
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pelorus Jack was the name given to a dolphin that was famous for meeting and escorting ships over a certain stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand, between 1888 and 1912. The dolphin's habits were so regular that on 26 September 1904, it was protected by Order in Council under the Sea Fisheries Act and remained so until its disappearance in 1912. It is thought to be the first individual sea creature protected in this way by any country.
Pelorus Jack was 4 metres (12–14 ft) long and was of a white colour with grey lines or shadings, and a round, white head. Although its sex was never determined, it was identified from photographs as a Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus. This is an uncommon species in New Zealand waters, and only 12 Risso's Dolphins have been reported in that area.
Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near French Pass, a treacherous channel used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson. In spite of his name, he did not frequent nearby Pelorus Sound, and local residents familiar with his habits assert that he never went through French Pass itself.
