A pod of orcas was filmed frolicking in the shallows at Pukehina Beach in the Bay of Plenty on Monday morning.
Holidaymaker Graydon Pieterse was lucky enough to witness the spectacle. In a video he supplied to Newshub, the orcas can be seen cruising along the shoreline, with one appearing to linger near a group of amazed beachgoers.
Pieterse says it's common for marine life such as sharks and dolphins to be spotted off the coast of Pukehina - but his brother-in-law, who owns a local bach, had never seen whales behaving that way.
"It was amazing. Incredible," he told Newshub.
"My little nephew was there and he was over the moon."
About four of five orcas were basking in the shallow water at roughly 8am on Monday, Pieterse said. He and his family had been fishing when they saw fins emerge from the water further down the beach.
The whales had drifted so close to the shoreline, Pieterse was worried they might beach.
"Their behaviour was a bit strange," he said. "They were very close to the shore."
The orcas made their way down the length of the beach, Pieterse recalled. By the time word had spread and crowds of locals appeared hoping to catch a glimpse, they had gone.
However, the people filmed getting close to the orcas could've gotten into trouble - not from the whales, but from the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Rules outlined on the DOC website say people must stay at least 50m away from whales, and anyone charged with harassing or disturbing a marine mammal faces a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment or a fine of up to $250,000.
Watch the video above.
