Boil-up!

The rock clamber between Woody and West Bays at low tide is one of my favourite Rakino activities; there are plenty of toe and hand holds to mitigate the risk of a skin-tearing plunge into the sea, but enough a frisson of danger to make it feel like an achievement in light adventurism.

We revisit familiar landmarks, the Exhibitionist Amorous Stick People, the kingfisher nests, the black-backed gull strafing danger zone, the Siren Pool fringed with Neptune’s Necklace, whilst giving the penguin roosts a wide berth, just in case.

On our most recent rock reconnoiter, we’d just carefully negotiated the last and most vertical part of the rock climb, sharp rock oysters beckoning below in the churning turning tide, when I spotted a series of boil-ups happening out in West Bay between our rock outcrop and the Three Sisters. A fisherman in a small boat to the west of us looked astounded as columns of spiraling silver sprats pursued by sizeable kahawai seethed all around the bay.

The white-fronted terns were first on the scene to aerially assail the sprats. About thirty terns rapidly appeared closely followed by a couple of petrels. Unfortunately I don’t know what species of petrel they were but there are a number of different species to be found in the Hauraki Gulf, including this small treasure, the white-faced storm petrel which is a resident on our neighbours The Noises, to Rakino’s east.
https://www.thenoises.nz/2021/11/16/return-of-the-tiny-winged-taonga/
Two pied shags, a heron and a foolishly inept juvenile black-backed gull joined the fray, its parent barking commands to its hapless offspring from the comfort of the shore.

Teams of muscular kahawai were rapidly herding sprats inches from our jutting rock perch, and I briefly fantasised about having a fishing rod to hand, but I quickly dispelled that scenario. I half-jokingly suggested this would be a perfect feeding frenzy for an orca or three to join, and dawdled as Simon strode off towards the final rock scramble before the sandy sweep of West Bay. Moments later I heard him shouting that orca were out in the bay. Thankfully I was carrying my second-best glasses, though regretfully not my binoculars. The Orca were trawling along the inward side of the Three Sisters, no doubt invigorated by the boil-up-inspired carnage.

This is the first time we have seen orca off Rakino, and despite the relative distance from where I was standing, I was not disappointed. One breached, which was just downright fantastic. I hadn’t fathomed how large orca were. They are surprisingly larger than a dolphin, news to a novice cetacean spotter. I think I’ll spend more time down by the seaside instead of swamp toiling. That should hopefully improve my odds of seeing orca-stimulating boil-ups in future. 🙂