A portable pool is being brought on-site to hold orphan orca Toa as an incoming storm looks set to make sea conditions too rough.
The bad weather also put a stop to air and sea searches on Thursday.
Volunteers from Whale Rescue/Orca Research Trust, the Department of Conservation, local iwi Ngati Toa Rangatira and the community have been working together to keep the calf healthy and stable.
The orca calf - believed to be between four and six months old - was found washed up on Plimmerton Beach, in the northwest of Porirua, on Sunday afternoon.
The Department of Conservation's marine species manager, Ian Angus, said the temporary holding pool is being arranged as a safety measure as sea swells are expected to reach up to 4m on Friday, with potential gale force winds.
"This is a back-up plan for if we feel the sea has got too rough and the calf's welfare, and the welfare of volunteers on site, may be compromised," Angus said in a statement.
RNZ
