Hector's Dolphin

Description:

Hector's dolphin is the best-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus and is found only in New Zealand. At approximately 1.4 m in length, it is one of the smallest cetaceans, and New Zealand's only endemic cetacean. The Hectors dolphin is also the smallest and rarest dolphin species in the world. A 2010/2011 survey by the New Zealand Department of Conservation estimated that only 55 adults remained. The latest published estimate of South Island Hector's dolphins is 7,270. This is only 27% of the population estimated in 1970 which was approximately 30,000. Hector’s dolphin was named after Sir James Hector (1834–1907), who was the curator of the Colonial Museum in Wellington (now the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa). Māori names for Hector's dolphin include tutumairekurai, tupoupou and popoto. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector%27s...)

Habitat:

Hector's dolphins are endemic to the coastal regions of New Zealand. The species has a fragmented distribution around the entire South Island, although there are only very occasional sightings in the deep waters of Fiordland. The largest populations live on the east and west coast of the South Island, most notably on Banks Peninsula and Te Waewae Bay while smaller local groups are scattered along entire South Island coasts such as at Cook Strait, Kaikoura, West Coast, Catlins and Otago coasts. The species' range includes shallow waters up to 100 m (330 ft) depth, with very few sightings in deeper waters. The 100 m depth contour is a better predictor of offshore distribution, depending on water depth they are found up to 20 nautical miles or more from the coast. They tend to spend a lot of their time by small reef systems and surf zones of the Southern Island of New Zealand. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector%27s...)

Notes:

Mother and child dolphins spotted in Le Bons Bay, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.