The abandoned male orca calf which has been swimming round Tauranga harbour for a week may be captured and contained in a special sea pen.

'It's a temporary holding area, a kind of ICU or intensive care unit, before it's returned to the wild” says DOC ranger Caraline Abbott.

And she says the sea pen would simply be a sensible intervention.

DOC, which is part of the Orca Tactical Response Group, says it's going to intervene to benefit the calf's wellbeing. It's looking for the orca's parent pod in the hope of reuniting the calf with its family.

However the calf is emaciated and the group has been unable to find the parent pod. Now the group is considering the option of a sea pen to safely contain the orca while it recovers.

'We are working with the experts to determine how big and deep the sea pen needs to be. These people have the skill and the knowledge and they have done the same thing with bigger animals” says Caraline.

The group says the sea pen is 'likely to mitigate stress to the animal from the strong tidal flows in its current location.”

The orca would be monitored, fed and medicated as required to ensure its safe return to the wild.

'The focus is on rehabilitation and so the orca would be contained for a short as time as possible.”

Meanwhile the group is still appealing for sightings of the parent pod.