West Coast man apologises for taking whale fossil from river mouth

A West Coast man has publicly apologised for taking a 23-million-year-old whale fossil from a river mouth.

Fossil enthusiast Harry Jensen offered “sincerest apologies” for the “outrage and anguish” caused when he used a rocksaw to remove the treasured ancient remains from a coastal marine area at the mouth of the Little Wanganui River, near Karamea in northern Buller, in October.

“This has caused major local, national and even international outcry and anguish,’’ Jensen wrote.

“I am consequently writing this to offer up my sincerest apologies to the affected parties, chiefly the residents of the little Wanganui settlement, past and present, for the hurt felt throughout the community.

“To the local hapu Ngāti Waewae, the iwi Ngāi Tahu, the national museum of Te Papa and to the Otago museum I must express my deep regret at the negative publicity that this has brought upon your institutions.”

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He said the whale fossil would be preserved and donated to the local museum.

“This fossil will be donated to the local Karamea museum once it has been prepared and preserved to a standard that is presentable to the residents and to the wider community, to be able to be enjoyed by all for perpetuity.

“I am making no pecuniary gain from this project, my intention always was, and still is, to gift my time and expertise to the public and raise awareness for this taonga which was being eroded away, largely unknown and unprotected, on a daily basis.

“Once again, my genuine apologies for the pain that the people have suffered.”

In the apology letter, Jensen described himself as “amateur palaeontologist and a citizen scientist” who has “made several significant discoveries including crustacean, penguin and cetacean fossils within the Mawhera and Kawatiri districts.”

“I was born on the coast and have lived and walked the land here for the vast majority of my life.”

Jensen was challenged by shocked locals during the removal of the fossil in October. He reportedly told locals he had iwi permission when he did not. The fossil was later recovered by police in a raid on a Granity property.

Iwi representative Francois Tumahai told the West Coast Regional Council last month that they were working with Jensen on a public apology.

The fossil was taken from an area between the high and low tide marks, which makes the legality of its removal a grey area.