Overview

• 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.