Moturata (Taieri Island)

Moturata, Taieri Island

Moturata, also called Taieri Island, is an island in the mouth of the Taieri River in southern New Zealand. It is connected to the mainland by a sandy causeway at low tide.

The island is a nature reserve, and is home to many protected seabirds, notably yellow-eyed penguins. It was the site of a whaling station, primarily targeting southern right whales and secondly humpbacks and others in the 1830s and 40s. In 1839 the Weller brothers of the Otago station on Otago Harbour established an outstation at Taieri Island which they operated for three years and in 1844, Johnny Jones of Waikouaiti briefly revived operations here. According to the visiting Frederick Tuckett, "nowhere, perhaps, do twenty Englishmen reside on a spot so comfortless as this naked inaccessible isle".

Today, whales are making a comeback occasionally being seen in this area in their migrating season.