A Dolphin Guide

We are heading through Cook Strait between the North and South Islands. The waters between the two islands have been the site of numerous shipwrecks and, along this line is the story of Pelorus Jack. In 1888 the Schooner Brindle was caught in a storm and lost its bearings when a " big white fish with the tail of a shark" appeared. The crew wanted to harpoon it but the captain's wife stopped them. The creature proceeded to guide them through the narrow channel and stayed with them for 12 hours. Through the next 25 years it safely guided almost every ship that came by. From the descriptions it is likely that Pelorus Jack was a Risso's Dolphin. He became quite famous and tourists would come even from other countries to see him. The only time he was harmed was on the SS Penquin when a passenger tried to shoot him. Pelorus Jack never accompanied the Penguin again. Later the ship perished in a storm. Jack was last seen in 1912. In French Pass there is a statue of Pelorus Jack.

Now on to the Tasman Sea....
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