Pod of 60 dolphins spotted in a Waikato river

It’s no secret that some elements of the natural world have benefitted from quarantine and lockdowns, with large schools of fish being spotted in Venice’s clear canals, and animals across National Parks running undisturbed and free. Now, a video has been shared from New Zealand that shows approximately 60 dolphins swimming along a river, much to the amazement of local people.

Captured by Peter Pakinga who works along the banks of the Piako River on the North Island with Hauraki District Council, the video shows a pod of dolphins happily swimming along the river, most likely in search of food. Peter managed to live stream a video onto the Hauraki District Council Facebook Page for followers to enjoy. “It was incredible, I wanted everyone to experience the moment,” he said.

The video got a great response online, with people commenting on how inspiring it was to see dolphins peacefully enjoying the river. “Peter was just getting to work when he heard about the dolphins in the river and rushed down to take the video. Our district is famous for the Hauraki Rail Trail which shows off our beautiful district at the base of the Coromandel!” a representative of Hauraki District Council told Lonely Planet.

Another local person, Kristy McPherson was passing by the area and noticed some strange activity and was able to capture footage from a different angle. “I was just driving my kids back to the first day of school since the country locked down. I wondered what was disturbing all the ducks on the Piako River, and I looked over and spotted dolphins! I pulled over and filmed them, there must have been 30 or more of the biggest dolphins I've ever seen, it was so beautiful,” she told Lonely Planet.

Read more: Watch dolphins swim through glowing bioluminescent waters off the California coast