Moko a Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) an icon of the small community at Mahia Peninsula New Zealand where she has been adopted and calls home since Easter 2007..Thursday 12 February 2009.Photograph Richard Robinson.

Department of Conservation (DOC) staff say a dolphin found dead in the Bay of Plenty is probably Moko, who has entertained beachgoers on the North Island east coast for the past few years.

The bottlenose dolphin was found on Matakana beach, north of Mt Maunganui, yesterday.

DOC staff would today examine the dolphin, which is understood to be of a similar size and sex to Moko, with the same missing teeth.

Moko a Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) an icon of the small community at Mahia Peninsula New Zealand where she has been adopted and calls home since Easter 2007..Thursday 12 February 2009.Photograph Richard Robinson.

Moko was found to have lost eight teeth during an examination earlier this year, possibly from playing with anchor or mooring chains or ropes. He was last seen about two weeks ago and DOC staff said they had been concerned for him because of the lack of sightings.

“Based on the size, markings and teeth of the carcass, we think that this is Moko,” DOC ranger Jamie Quirk said today.

Mr Quirk has worked with Moko since he turned up on the Mahia Peninsula on the east coast in 2007.

The playful solitary dolphin had been a familiar sight around Gisborne before following a fishing boat to the Bay of Plenty earlier this year.

Moko arrived at Pilot Bay in Mt Maunganui on June 3, but has been seen rarely since.

Marine biologist Amy Taylor, who has been making a film about Moko, told NZPA this afternoon she was about to depart on a boat to help identify the dolphin.

DOC Tauranga area manager Andrew Baucke said Moko was a wild animal and his death could have been caused by any number of factors.

“We’ll be taking steps to identify the cause of death and dispose of the body appropriately,” he said.

“This is a sad loss. The way that Moko interacted with people really inspired public interest and care for dolphins and marine mammals and their environment in general.

“I’m sure that those who got to see and swim with him will treasure those memories.”

- NZPA

Moko a Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) an icon of the small community at Mahia Peninsula New Zealand where she has been adopted and calls home since Easter 2007..Thursday 12 February 2009.Photograph Richard Robinson.

Moko a Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) an icon of the small community at Mahia Peninsula New Zealand where she has been adopted and calls home since Easter 2007..Thursday 12 February 2009. Photograph Richard Robinson.

Common Kelp (Ecklonia radiata) is illuminated by early morning light in Blue Maomao Arch at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Friday 23 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Some of the highlights from my first annual Seven-Day trip to the Poor Knights Islands with Quentin Bennett, Andrew Green, Franz Smith and Mary Carney with Ocean Blue Adventures on board their tender Mazurka with Kevin Delonge and Kent Ericksen.

Quentin and various dive companions have been doing this trip every year around the same week in April since the late sixties.

I felt very privileged to be asked along and it was fascinating listening to story’s of trips past and how things have changed and in some cases stayed the same at the Knights.

Certainly the week was one of my best dive experiences, peaking when a pod of False-killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and  Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)  approached as I ended a dive in Crater Bay.  Having come up from a 120 minute dive at dusk on the East Side of the Island with no more power left in my strobes I was forced to really test the 5D Mark 2 in low light with exposures around 60^th second at f2.8 at 1000iso the results are amazing… A few years ago, I would never expected that we could get this quality from digital in saying that a few years ago, shooting film you could not change film underwater, I would  have been stuck with a low iso film and would not have got the shots at all.

Unfortunately I am being a tease because I can’t show you the pictures until they are published… keep your eyes out and just a friendly reminder to buy the current New Zealand Geographic in fact get a subscription we are very lucky to have a magazine of this calibre in New Zealand.

Over the seven days squeezed in 21 Dives with a total of 26 hours in the water…

Diving Tender Mazurka outside Mine Shaft Cave at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Sunday 18 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

New Zealand Diving Pioneer and Underwater Photographer Quentin Bennett with Eastern Arch on Aorangaia Island in the background at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Friday 23 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

Diver Kent Ericksen inside Long Cave or better known as Matt's Crack at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Sunday 18 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

Diver Kent Ericksen inside Long Cave or better known as Matt's Crack at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand.Monday 19 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Diver Mary Carney on the surface before a dive at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Friday 23 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Diver Mary Carney is silhouetted near the surface before a dive at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Friday 23 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Diver Franz Smith at Dusk at the Southern end of Tawhiti Rahi Island at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Sunday 18 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

Salp sp. silhouetted at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Wednesday 21 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010 Dive Number: 247

One very cool thing I photographed was sun being refracted through Salps not unusal I know, but the Refracted Prisms were lighting up Snapper…. Rainbow Snapper.

Light refracted through salps give a rainbow effect on Snapper (Pagrus auratus) at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Wednesday 21 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

The channel between Aorangi Island and Tawhiti Rahi Island as dusk falls at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Sunday 18 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

Grey Moray Eel (Gymnothorax nublis) at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Thursday 22 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Nudibranch, Janolus mokohinau Order: Nudibranchia Suborder: Arminina Site: Rikoriko Cave, Poor Knights Marine Reserve, New Zealand. Saturday 17 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Nudibranch, Janolus ignis Order: Nudibranchia Suborder: Arminina Site: Rikoriko Cave, Poor Knights Marine Reserve, New Zealand. Saturday 17 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Nudibranch, Cratena lineata Order: Nudibranchia Suborder: Aeolidina Family: Glaucidae Location :The Canyon, Poor Knights Marine Reserve, New Zealand. Saturday 17 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Karuhiruh or the Pied shag (Phalacrocorax varius) at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve, New Zealand. Saturday 17 April 2010 Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010

Middle Arch at dusk at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve New Zealand. Photograph Richard Robinson © 2010.

Underwater Photographs of Snapper (Pagrus Auratus) One of the most beloved fish in New Zealand, By Underwater Photographer and Photojournalist Richard Robinson.

Underwater Photographs of Underwater Explorer and Deep Sea Diver Pete Mesley by New Zealand Photojournalist / Underwater Photographer Richard Robinson specializing in Underwater Photography.

The Poor Knights Islands and Marine Reserve, New Zealand.Thursday 05 June 2008.

A space has become available on a seven day photography trip to the Knights leaving early on Saturday the 17^th April coming back on Friday the 23d April on board MV Mazurka with Ocean Blue Adventures.

The trip is more suited towards experienced photographers.

This particular group, excluding myself have been doing this trip each year since the dawn of scuba.

A chance to see some real Masters at work.

Please Contact me if you are keen.

Underwater Photographs of World Champion Free Diver William Trubridge by Underwater Photographer and Photojournalist Richard Robinson. Winner at the 2009 Qantas Media Awards for  “Art/Portrait/Object”.

Underwater Photography of Nudibranchs and other Molluscs at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve and wider New Zealand by Underwater Photographer and Photojournalist Richard Robinson.