Man touching whale off Dunedin coast not OK, DOC saysSOUTHERN STRINGERSTwo men who paddled out to whales of Dunedin's coast could be fined up to $250,000 for disturbing wildlife. This gave them their name after they were deemed the "right" whale to catch by whalers. Dave Agnew, of DOC, said it was not uncommon to see whales off the Otago coast at this time of year. Latta, who owns and operates Watercooled Sports in Dunedin, said he did not touch the whale and was unaware of DOC guidelines. Newborn southern right whales were between 4.5m and 6m in length, while adults reached 11-18metres.

Source: Stuff August 11, 2016 19:41 UTC