Hundreds attend NZ funeral for boisterous dolphin

[demoleft]

Source: ap

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Hundreds of mourners Friday marked the death of a teenage bottlenose dolphin who won hearts and sometimes annoyed New Zealand swimmers and surfers with his boisterous antics.

Moko's body, placed in a blue coffin bedecked with flowers, was carried through a seaside town.

After a ceremony that drew more than 400 admirers, his casket was loaded on a charter boat that toured his favorite bays. He was buried privately on Matakana Island, where his carcass was found one week ago.

For three years, Moko was a familiar sight around the beaches of New Zealand's eastern coastal city of Gisborne, where he swam among beach-goers and stole balls and surf boards. He received worldwide fame in 2008, when he guided two stranded pygmy sperm whales back to deep waters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100716/ap_on_re_as/as_new_zealand_celebrity_dolphin

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bye friend.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/03/13/moko_dolphin_wideweb__470x217,0.jpg

here's a link to the pics of the funeral.
http://www.repubblica.it/ambiente/2010/07/16/foto/i_funerali_del_delfino_moko-5630409/1/?rss

[xchrom]

1. ...

:cry:

[theHandpuppet]

2. Damn, those photos made me cry

Do they have any idea what he died from?

[demoleft]

4. the italian paper says the causes are still unknown. but...

..it might have bumped into a ship, or beaten.
i do not know where they drew these from though.

tender pics, really.

[northernlights]

6. they've ruled out deliberate violence and boat strike

"The cause of death has not been determined, but post mortems have ruled out deliberate violence or a boat collision."

:cry: :cry: :cry: fare thee well, Moko. The first photo at the link says it all. :(

[kayakjohnny]

3. Those pics are incredible. What a story.

Thanks, demolet.

[demoleft]

5. you're welcome, kayakjohnny. yes, the pics are moving really. n/t

[mike_c]

7. wow, what a great story....

Awesome pics of the funeral.

[yava]

9. I love them dolphins :)

[L0oniX]

8. Kick

[Lorien]

10. K&R