Wellington's whale - which has spent nearly a week frolicking in the harbour close to the shore - could be a good sign, according to experts.
The beloved southern right whale was given the nickname 'Matariki' after its presence in the harbour led to the postponement of a Matariki fireworks display.
Nearly a week after the first sighting, there were multiple sightings of the whale near the Ferry Terminal on Monday morning and at Oriental Bay at midday.
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University of Auckland marine science PhD student Victoria Warren has been studying data collected by NIWA about the whale.
She says the whales, which take annual migrations swimming north from Antarctica, have been recorded around the mainland in increasing numbers.
"It may be a sign of a recovering population following the decimating impacts of commercial and illegal whaling during the 19th and 20th Centuries," she said.
The whale's sex is still not known. A skin biopsy taken by NIWA and the Department of Conservation last week should be able to determine it, but the results are still a way off.
"Until the results are received, it is unclear whether the whale is male or female," Ms Warren said, adding that any speculation it was a male due to its regular breaching and activity near the surface was premature.
"Male whales may undertake these activities to attract females or intimidate other males, but there is no need for a southern right whale to do this. Female southern right whales mate with multiple males, and the male that produces the most sperm is usually the one that fertilises the egg," she said.
NIWA deployed acoustic equipment in the harbour last week to record any sounds that could indicate its gender. Male southern right whales are known for making loud gunshot sounds, while the sound is less common for females.
However the recordings are difficult to analyse due to vessel noise in the harbour, and NIWA did not record any such sounds.
Southern right whales migrate south between September and November, Ms Warren said. They feed in Antarctic waters over summer and eat opportunistically in winter.
Ms Warren said it's impossible to tell how long the whale will remain in the harbour.
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