moko

The dolphin who saved whales

Mahia Beach, New Zealand, March 2008 — the tide rolled in silver and cold. Two pygmy sperm whales had stranded on the sand, panicked and circling in shallows too small for them. Locals tried pushing, shouting, pleading. Nothing worked. Then Moko appeared, cutting through the surf like punctuation. He’d been the resident wild dolphin for years, known for escorting swimmers and stealing surfboards. That morning he circled the whales, clicking and nudging until they followed him through a narrow channel back to sea. The beach fell silent watching them vanish. By afternoon, Moko was back near the buoys, chasing laughter again. Scientists called it altruism. Fishermen called it Tuesday.