The search for an abandoned baby orca's pod in New Zealand has entered a fourth day, with possible sightings north of Wellington offering hope for a family reunification.
On Sunday, two teenagers discovered a juvenile orca beached in a rock pool at Plimmerton, a northern suburb of the capital.
An operation to both care for the whale, named Toa in a Maori blessing ceremony on Tuesday, and find his pod has involved hundreds of Kiwis.
Volunteers are taking turns jumping into freezing wintry waters to spend time with the animal, comforting him in a makeshift pen at the Plimmerton Boating Club.
Meanwhile, plenty more are on the search for the pod.
Animal welfare agencies and the government's Department of Conservation (DOC) have contributed resources to the search.
Everyday Kiwis are also getting involved in great numbers, looking out for pods while on coastal walks.
Possible sightings were called in on Tuesday from the Kapiti Coast, just north of Plimmerton, and from the South Island's Marlborough Sounds.
DOC manager Ian Angus said a boat had been dispatched on Wednesday to investigate a further sighting on the Kapiti Coast.
"The prospect of reuniting the calf with its pod is encouraging," Mr Angus said.
If the pod is spotted, the mission will move into a challenging phase of moving the orca - believed to be six-months old - to his family.
A boat will attempt to trail the pod during daylight hours while a land or sea course is charted to take Toa to a rendezvous.
"We're working through planning a range of scenarios," Mr Angus said.
"I want to emphasise the welfare of the calf is at the centre of all our discussions and the decisions we're making."
New Zealanders have been urged to call the DOC hotline - 0800 DOC HOT - if they spot an orca pod.
