At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
Hector's dolphin is one of the smallest and rarest marine dolphins, found only around New Zealand. It is assessed as Endangered.
It has a distinctive rounded dorsal fin and lives close to shore.
Range & habitat
Coastal waters of New Zealand.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Entanglement in fishing nets
- A small, fragmented population
- Disease and disturbance
Why it matters
A tiny coastal dolphin found nowhere else, Hector's dolphin is a flagship for making New Zealand's inshore fisheries dolphin-safe.
The Maui dolphin sub-population is assessed at even higher risk.
Sources
Sources for Hector's Dolphin
- IUCN Red List — look up Hector's Dolphin (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you recognise Hector's dolphin?
It is very small, with a distinctive rounded, almost Mickey-Mouse-ear-shaped dorsal fin, and lives in shallow coastal waters around New Zealand.
Why is Hector's dolphin Endangered?
Published assessments cite entanglement in fishing nets above all, plus a small, fragmented population, disease, and disturbance. The Maui subspecies is even more imperilled. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: