A pod of orca have been putting on a show in Tauranga Harbour today.

SunLive received a call from a reader early this morning to say there was a pod of orca in the harbour near the Turret Road Bridge.

Another reader, Phil Josephs managed to capture the orca on camera.

In a message to SunLive on Facebook, he says; "had a special start to the morning in the harbour. A pod of about 12 Orca were feeding in the ski Lane at Matakana island".

A video taken on a class trip to the Mount captured the orca leaping out of the water.

"I captured it today around The Mount on a class trip with Selwyn Ridge. Definitely an amazing experience for the kids," says Teresa Gorinski.

Orca, otherwise known as Killer Whales, typically come into the harbour to feed, particularly on stingrays.

Whilst orca are impressive animals the DOC do have some important advice regarding how people should interact with them if they come into contact.

Vessels should not be within 50m of a killer whale. No more than three vessels should be within 300m of any marine mammal.

Your vessel should approach orca from behind and to the side, do not circle them, obstruct their path or cut through any group.

Operate your boat slowly and quietly at 'no wake' speed when within 300m of a killer whale and you should avoid sudden noises that could startle the animals.

Sightings of orca can be reported to the DOC by calling 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468), or by filling out an online form. Sightings are always of interest and help increase the DOC's knowledge of cetacean distribution and movements around New Zealand.