A playful New Zealand dolphin used to swimming round humans has amazed conservation workers by guiding two distressed whales back to sea away from likely death on a beach.
The dolphin led the two pygmy sperm whales 200 metres along the beach and through a channel to the open sea, Department of Conservation worker Malcolm Smith said on Wednesday.
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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