Time magazine is recognising Moko the dolphin as one of the world's most heroic animals.

The friendly bottlenose dolphin, who was known for borrowing people's body boards and other items from the surf, was ranked eighth in a top 10 list compiled by the magazine.

Moko died in July last year. He was found washed ashore on Matakana Island.

The dolphin's prevention of a mother pygmy sperm whale and her calf from being beached in 2008 was noted as Moko's heroic achievement.

At the time of the rescue, Department of Conservation officer Malcolm Smith spoke to the BBC.

'I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin, but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea.”

Rescuers at the time say if Moko did not turn up to save the day both whales would have likely died as they had resisted human attempts to herd them out to sea.
The dolphin was a permanent fixture along the Bay of Plenty coastline until its death last winter.