An intensive search for the pod of the stranded baby orca – named Toa – has continued daily for the last week-and-a-half. The young orca calf has been cared for around-the-clock by Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and volunteers since becoming separated from his mother at Plimmerton, north of Wellington, on Sunday 11 July. It’s reported the cost to taxpayers of looking after Toa is estimated at The SMC asked experts to comment on ethical considerations in this evolving situation. Dr Karen Stockin, Professor in Marine Biology and Rutherford Discovery Fellow, Massey University, comments: “The situation for Toa was always very fragile from the moment he