Newly-christened albatross chick Moana examines a sign at Taiaroa Head.
The public has spoken, and the northern royal albatross chick which hatched at Taiaroa Head on Otago Peninsula in January has been named Moana.
The name (meaning ocean, sea, wide expanse of water) was selected by a public vote from a short-list of suggested names created by a panel of judges from the Department of Conservation and Pukekura Co-Management Trust.
The other names to make the short-list were Rereroa (flying over great distances), Kapehu (compass), Kaewa (wanderer, traveller, drifter, rover, rambler, adventurer), and Kapua (cloud).
The short-list was created by drawing on more than 2400 names suggested by members of the public in a competition, including Highlander, Snowy and Jabba the Fluff.
