Hector’s Dolphin
Hector’s dolphin is the only dolphin found in New Zealand coastal waters and nowhere else in the world. They are rarer than most species of Kiwi and continue to be threatened by commercial and recreational fishing. Read more
Sperm Whales
Kaikoura is a great place to study sperm whales as they are present year-round very close to shore. Steve Dawson and Liz Slooten started the sperm whale research programme in Kaikoura in 1990. Read more
Souther Right Whales
Southern right whales used to be so common in New Zealand that people in Wellington complained of being kept awake at night by the noise of the whales. Read more
Bottlenose Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are found in most of the World’s coastal areas. Of the dolphins, only killer whales (which really are dolphins) have a wider distribution. Read more