Marine Mammals

Latest news

A cold day in the office

Feature story

28 July 2020

Five specialist NIWA divers were left ‘gasping’ during their recent plunge under the ice near Scott Base.

The frozen menagerie

Feature story

23 December 2019

Just past the locks, alarms and big heavy doors is a rather macabre sight.

Leopard seal Owha injured in Auckland Harbour

Media Release

28 October 2019

Researchers are keeping a close eye on Owha, the leopard seal that has made Auckland Harbour her home, after she was seen bleeding from her face on Saturday morning.

Owha and her friends awarded citizenship

Media Release

27 May 2019

New Zealand’s newest citizens like the solitary life, have leopard-like markings, and can each weigh up to 600kg.

Our work

Satellite tracking of blue whales

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

Acoustic monitoring of the critically endangered Māui dolphin

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.

Acoustic Monitoring of whales and dolphins in New Zealand’s Cook Strait region

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

The decline of New Zealand’s sea lions

The main breeding population of New Zealand sea lions at the Auckland Islands has halved in size since the late-1990s; NIWA scientists are working with the government and experts from around New Zealand and overseas to understand why.

Latest videos

Seal-mounted cameras give scientists a glimpse of life under the ice

A NIWA-led team of marine ecologists are using seal-mounted cameras to get a first-hand view into the behaviour and movements of Weddell seals under the Antarctic ice.

Southern right whale observed in Wellington Harbour

On 4 July 2018 NIWA photographer Dave Allen took some close-up footage of a southern right whale seen surfacing in Wellington Harbour for several days. Dave worked alongside marine ecologist Kim Goetz, fisheries technician Pete Notman and Department of Conservation staff to take a biopsy sample for genetic analysis and acoustic recordings taken for NIWA's ongoing whale research.

Breakfast with Ebony - Episode 1

Plastic spoons aren’t always used for eating - fisheries scientist Dr Jim Roberts found them handy when studying sub-Antarctic sea lions. Find out just how in the first of our new series presented by our inquisitive mailroom administrator Ebony Barrett.

Pilot whale ((Globicephala sp.) calls detected by acoustic recorder stationed in Cook Strait, New Zealand

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

The frozen menagerie

Feature story

23 December 2019

Just past the locks, alarms and big heavy doors is a rather macabre sight.

A cold day in the office

Feature story

28 July 2020

Five specialist NIWA divers were left ‘gasping’ during their recent plunge under the ice near Scott Base.

Seal of protection

Small transmitters on Weddell seals are helping protect more than a million square kilometres of Antarctic ocean.

Leopard seal Owha injured in Auckland Harbour

Media Release

28 October 2019

Researchers are keeping a close eye on Owha, the leopard seal that has made Auckland Harbour her home, after she was seen bleeding from her face on Saturday morning.

Dive deep into NIWA ocean science

21 July 2019 to 9 February 2020

Dive deep into NIWA’s world of ocean science and discovery at Otago Museum’s Beautiful Science Gallery.

Owha and her friends awarded citizenship

Media Release

27 May 2019

New Zealand’s newest citizens like the solitary life, have leopard-like markings, and can each weigh up to 600kg.

Hector’s and Māui dolphins

Media Release

13 May 2019

A new scientific assessment of Hector’s and Māui dolphins has led to a revised understanding of their biology, their distribution and their main threats.

They were defrosting leopard seal poo...you won't believe what happened next!

5 February 2019

For more than a year a frozen slab of leopard seal poo sat in a NIWA freezer. The poo, known scientifically as scat and about the size of two bread rolls, is as good as gold for leopard seal researchers.

Voyage update 2: Cape Adare

17 January 2019. By Voyage Leader Dr Richard O'Driscoll.

Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme

The Ross Sea Region Research and Monitoring Programme (Ross-RAMP) is a five-year research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and run by NIWA to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.

Can a leopard seal change its spots?

Feature story

3 January 2019

A leopard seal, who has made the balmy waters around Auckland home, is prompting a NIWA scientist to campaign for her to be made a New Zealand citizen.

Ross Sea Environment and Ecosystem Voyage 2019

From 8 Jan - 27 Feb 2019 RV Tangaroa is undertaking a six-week research voyage to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. On board scientists, supported by 19 crew members, will be studying ocean, atmosphere and ecosystem processes with the focus on establishing monitoring programmes for the newly created Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Seal-mounted cameras give scientists a glimpse of life under the ice

A NIWA-led team of marine ecologists are using seal-mounted cameras to get a first-hand view into the behaviour and movements of Weddell seals under the Antarctic ice.

Seal-mounted cameras give scientists a glimpse of life under the ice

Feature story

19 December 2018

A NIWA-led team of marine ecologists are using seal-mounted cameras to get a first-hand view into the behaviour and movements of Weddell seals under the Antarctic ice.

Scientists studying Weddell seal behaviour in Antarctica

Media Release

29 October 2018

Scientists will be trying to understand how Antarctic-based Weddell seals see the world when they head to the ice next week.

Busy season for NIWA scientists in Antarctica

Media Release

24 September 2018

The new science season at Antarctica is just a few days away from opening and NIWA researchers are busy packing containers and shipping them to the ice where they will be reunited with them in the coming months.

Know your dolphin by the fin, says NIWA scientist

Media Release

23 August 2018

Identifying dolphins using photos of the unique pigment patterns on their fins can be used to help in the management of a species, says a NIWA scientist.

Wellington’s whale may be a good sign, says NIWA

Media Release

9 July 2018

Wellington’s whale may be a sign they are returning to their historical habitat, says NIWA.

Southern right whale observed in Wellington Harbour

Unidentified whale signals recorded in Cook Strait

Media Release

3 May 2018

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.

Satellite tracking of blue whales

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

Blog: Passive acoustic mooring - 15 March

15 March 2018

A 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.

Warmer seas make whales more difficult to find and track

Media Release

16 February 2018

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.