It was around 1888. A schooner called Brundle approached the French Pass, a dangerous channel located between D'Urville Island & South Island in New Zealand. Just as the ship was to enter the channel, a creature bobbed up ahead of it (1/n) 
The crew soon realised it was a Risso's Dolphin. They wanted to kill it but were persuaded against the idea by the captain's wife. They would shortly be left surprised when they realised the dolphin was acting like their guide through the pass (2/n)
For the next 24 years, this animal appeared often to guide ships through the treacherous waters of the French Pass. In time, he came to be called "Pelorus Jack." He would dutifully appear from nowhere and swim just ahead of the vessel like a pilot (3/n)
Between 1888 & April 1912, when he was last spotted, no vessel accompanied by Pelorus Jack ever met with an accident. In 1904, he was shot at from the inter-island ferry SS Penguin after which an act was passed to protect Jack (4/n)
Legend has it that Jack never escorted SS Penguin again. No one knows if this is true or not but in 1909, Penguin sunk after hitting a large rock killing 75 of 105 on board. Ngāti Kuia are a Māori iwi of the South Islands (5/n)
Their folklore mentions "Kaikai-a-waro", a sea God who takes a fish form & had guided their 1st ancestor across Cook Strait from North Islands to South Islands aeons ago. The tribe believed Pelorus Jack was a manifestation of Kaikai-a-waro (6/n)
Pelorus Jack wasn't seen after 1912 and is believed to have died from old age. Since 1989, Pelorus Jack has been used as the symbol of the ferry service across the Cook Strait, keeping the tale of this amazing animal alive (7/n)
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