Orca up close in Okahu Bay

The goal of seeing orca from a kayak was one reason Dan Marsh decided to make New Zealand his new home.

And yesterday, the Brit’s dream came true — with the help of a “back in five minutes” sign.

Marsh, 23, made the move to New Zealand in pursuit of some of the best kayaking in the world. At the top of his list was seeing a pod of orca.

Yesterday, in the middle of a shift at Ferg’s Kayaks in Okahu Bay, he got word there was a group hunting stingray out in the bay.

“I quickly closed the shop, chucked up a ‘back in five minutes’ sign. I wasn’t going to miss it.”

Unexpectedly, the pod came right into the bay into shallow

It was really special. My heart will be racing for weeks. It’s one of the reasons I came to New Zealand — it’s always been a dream to see orca like that up close. Dan Marsh

water. Marsh said the mammals came close to his kayak and a mother and her calf took particular interest in him.

“It was really special. My heart will be racing for weeks. It’s one of the reasons I came to New Zealand — it’s always been a dream to see orca like that up close.”

At one point, Marsh said a stingray leapt from the water and the mother orca caught it in her mouth.

“I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

But while Marsh’s afternoon was a once in a lifetime experience, the Department of Conservation warns people not to touch whales.

In February, a pair of paddleboarders got so close to two 7m-long Southern right whales off Second Beach in Dunedin, one of them touched one of the whales for several seconds.

The department’s guidelines advise people to keep at least 50m from whales and at least 200m from a mother and calf.