Marine mammals

Two yet-to-be identified species of beaked whales have been detected in the Cook Strait region. Identifying which species they are is important for understanding the status of marine mammal populations in New Zealand waters.

The aim of this voyage was to examine the movement and habitat utilization of pygmy blue whales in New Zealand waters.

15 March 2018A couple of days ago we deployed the last of three long-term passive acoustic monitoring moorings, as a collaboration between the Ross-RAMP MBIE Endeavour project and The Australian Antarctic Division.

A two-week expedition to tag blue whales in New Zealand waters for the first time, almost came up empty due to warmer sea temperatures causing the animals to change their behaviour.

Beachgoers are being asked to look out for leopard seals over summer and report sightings as soon as possible.

A leopard seal pup born off St Kilda beach, Dunedin, on Tuesday has been found to have only had 10 per cent of normal lung capacity.

A leopard seal has spent so much time in New Zealand waters she has prompted a NIWA scientist to challenge conventional thinking about the species.

The sounds of whales and dolphins rarely seen in New Zealand waters have been recorded in a pioneering underwater sound project.

Māui dolphins, a subspecies of Hector’s dolphins, are listed as nationally critical in New Zealand with a population estimate between 57 and 75 dolphins over one year old.

Pilot whale (Globicephala sp.) calls detected by acoustic recorder stationed in Cook Strait, New Zealand from December 2016 to January 2017.

Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) calls detected by acoustic recorder stationed in Cook Strait, New Zealand from December 2016 to January 2017.