Whales: New Zealand marine mammals - Department of …
New Zealand examples include humpback and Southern right whales. See information about common whale species below. Killer whale/orca are actually the largest member of the dolphin family.
Humpback whales: New Zealand marine mammals - Department …
The Department of Conservation has been undertaking whale surveys in Cook Strait annually since 2004 to determine the present status and level of recovery of humpback whales in New Zealand waters. It also sheds light on the migratory pathways and destinations of these whales.
Blue whales: Marine mammals - Department of Conservation
The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. A female blue whale weighing 150 tonnes (killed in the Antarctic in 1928) was the largest animal ever known to have lived during the earth's 4600 million-year history. That's far bigger than any dinosaur. A blue whale population lives in New Zealand waters for part of the year.
Southern right whales/tohorā: New Zealand marine mammals
Tohorā are a native migrant to New Zealand and are the only large baleen whales that can be seen from the beach. During the breeding season in winter and spring, they are mostly found in the waters around the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands but there are occasional sightings around mainland New Zealand.
Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals - Department of …
Population: 150–200 in New Zealand. The killer whale/orca (Orcinus orca) is well known and can be identified relatively easily by its distinctive black and white markings and very tall, prominent dorsal fin. They can grow up to 9 m in length, with male dorsal fins reaching higher than a metre.
Sperm whales: New Zealand marine mammals - Department of …
Sperm whales are toothed whales and dive to great depths to feed. They eat large organisms, mainly squids, but males are also likely to eat demersal fish including sharks and rays. They feed using clicks, which can both locate and possibly stun their prey.
Whaling: New Zealand marine mammals - Department of …
Whales are still "hunted" in New Zealand, but with cameras, not harpoons. At Kaikoura on the north-east coast of the South Island a tourist industry based on whale watching attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Whale stranding at Mahia Peninsula - Department of Conservation
Jan 22, 2024 · A pod of about 45 false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins stranded on Sunday afternoon at Taylor’s Bay on Mahia Peninsula.
Whale shark: Shark/mango - Department of Conservation
The world’s largest fish, the filter-feeding and highly migratory whale shark, occasionally visits northern New Zealand’s waters. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, with reliable reports of some as long as 18 m.
Big, baleen and beautiful: Survival secrets of the Gulf's largest ...
Feb 21, 2021 · The best way to see a Bryde’s whale in all its majesty is on a whale watching tour with our conservation partner, Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari (AWADS), who also host marine scientists undertaking research on the species that …