A fisherman from Mahia Peninsula in northern Hawke's Bay says people who want to swim with Moko the dolphin need to make sure they stay in shallow water.
On Sunday a woman who spent about an hour swimming with Moko several hundred metres offshore had to be rescued after she became exhausted.
Local fisherman Joe Hedley says people should stay in a group rather than swimming alone with the dolphin, and not venture into deep water. He says Moko is willing to play in knee-deep water, and has been known to swim there with people all day.
The bottlenose dolphin has been a tourist attraction at Mahia beach since April 2007.
