Opo the Dolphin
Encyclopedia
Opo was a bottlenose dolphin
who became famous throughout New Zealand
during the summer of 1955-56 for playing with the children of the small town of Opononi
on the Hokianga
harbour.
Opo was a wild dolphin who started following fishing boats around Opononi in early 1955 after her mother had been killed, and would swim daily in the bay close to town. She was originally named "Opononi Jack", based on Pelorus Jack
, since she was presumed to be male. Unlike the majority of dolphins, she had no qualms about human company, and would perform stunts for locals, play with objects like beach balls and beer bottles, and allow children to swim alongside her and make contact.
Māori children were more reluctant to play with Opo, as cultural beliefs said the dolphin was a messenger from Kupe
.
The dolphin became a local celebrity but news of her soon spread, and visitors from throughout the country would come to watch her. On 8 March 1956 official protection for Opo, requested by locals, was made law, but on 9 March she was found dead in a rock crevice at Koutu Point. It is suspected that she was killed accidentally by fishermen fishing with gelignite
. Her death was reported nationwide, and she was buried with full Māori honours in a special plot next to the town hall.
Several documentary films have been made about Opo. Rudall Hayward
made a film called "The Amazing Dolphin of Opononi".
Opo was the inspiration for the Maurice Shadbolt
novel This Summer's Dolphin and A children's storybook titled Opo the Gay Dolphin by Avis Acres was published by Reed Publishing Ltd.
A memorial statue of the dolphin playing with a child by Russell Clark was erected in Opononi during the 1950s.
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
holds a large number of photographs of Opo taken by Eric Lee-Johnson
.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
who became famous throughout New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
during the summer of 1955-56 for playing with the children of the small town of Opononi
Opononi
Opononi is a settlement on the south shore of the Hokianga harbour in Northland Region, New Zealand. State Highway 12 runs through Opononi. Omapere lies to the south and Whirinaki lies to the north east....
on the Hokianga
Hokianga
Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as The Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand....
harbour.
Opo was a wild dolphin who started following fishing boats around Opononi in early 1955 after her mother had been killed, and would swim daily in the bay close to town. She was originally named "Opononi Jack", based on Pelorus Jack
Pelorus Jack
Pelorus Jack was a Risso's dolphin that was famous for meeting and escorting ships through a stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand, between 1888 and 1912...
, since she was presumed to be male. Unlike the majority of dolphins, she had no qualms about human company, and would perform stunts for locals, play with objects like beach balls and beer bottles, and allow children to swim alongside her and make contact.
Māori children were more reluctant to play with Opo, as cultural beliefs said the dolphin was a messenger from Kupe
Kupe
In the Māori mythology of some tribes, Kupe was involved in the Polynesian discovery of New Zealand.-Contention:There is contention concerning the status of Kupe. The contention turns on the authenticity of later versions of the legends, the so-called 'orthodox' versions closely associated with S....
.
The dolphin became a local celebrity but news of her soon spread, and visitors from throughout the country would come to watch her. On 8 March 1956 official protection for Opo, requested by locals, was made law, but on 9 March she was found dead in a rock crevice at Koutu Point. It is suspected that she was killed accidentally by fishermen fishing with gelignite
Gelignite
Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
. Her death was reported nationwide, and she was buried with full Māori honours in a special plot next to the town hall.
Legacy
A song "Opo the friendly dolphin" was recorded by Crombie Murdoch (coincidentally on the same day Opo died) and was highly popular. A second song was written by Julie Collier in 1988.Several documentary films have been made about Opo. Rudall Hayward
Rudall Hayward
Rudall Charles Victor Hayward was a pioneer New Zealand filmmaker from the 1920s to the 1970s, who directed seven feature films and numerous others. He was born in England, and died in Dunedin while promoting his last film....
made a film called "The Amazing Dolphin of Opononi".
Opo was the inspiration for the Maurice Shadbolt
Maurice Shadbolt
Maurice Francis Richard Shadbolt CBE was a New Zealand writer and playwright. He was born in Auckland, and educated at Te Kuiti High School, Avondale College and Auckland University College...
novel This Summer's Dolphin and A children's storybook titled Opo the Gay Dolphin by Avis Acres was published by Reed Publishing Ltd.
A memorial statue of the dolphin playing with a child by Russell Clark was erected in Opononi during the 1950s.
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
holds a large number of photographs of Opo taken by Eric Lee-Johnson
Eric Lee-Johnson
Eric Albert Lee-Johnson was a prominent New Zealand artist and photographer.Lee-Johnson was born in Suva, Fiji and moved to New Zealand in 1912 with his parents. As a child he showed an unusual gift for drawing and he entered Auckland’s Elam School of Art where he remained from 1923-1926...
.