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. Not everyone was
charmed, though. Moko was known for pushing surfers out to sea, even leaving
one woman stranded on a buoy when he stole her board. He also overturned
kayakers and water skiers. Moko's body was found a week ago on a beach on
Matakana Island. The cause of death has not been determined, but post mortems
have ruled out deliberate violence or a boat collision.
