900-Pound Dolphin Leaps Onto Fishermen's Boat in New Zealand

The unexpected encounter caused damage to the vessel, but both the fishermen and the dolphin were safely rescued.

Three fishermen were fishing near Piercy Island on New Zealand's North Island when a 900-pound bottlenose dolphin unexpectedly landed on their 16-foot boat.
The dolphin, later named 'Tohu' by local Māori helpers, caused significant damage to the boat and destroyed fishing equipment, though no serious injuries were reported.
Unable to lift the large dolphin back into the water, the fishermen contacted New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC) for assistance.
The fishermen kept the dolphin cool and protected from the sun during the journey to a nearby boat ramp, where DoC staff and a local Māori tribe helped return it to the ocean safely.
The fishermen credited their sturdy boat for preventing a potentially catastrophic outcome and reflected on the incident as a remarkable and fortunate experience.