Blow for critically endangered dolphin survival

09/04/2007 00:00:00 November 2006. 2 baby dolphins have been found washed up dead in the space of a week, including one critically endangered Maui's dolphin.

With only around 100 North Island Hector's or Maui's dolphins left in the world, any deaths are of great concern, said Helen McConnell, NZ Department of Conservation marine mammal advisor. ‘Initial necropsy reports show this young male dolphin was likely to have died during birth or was stillborn,’ she said.

The young Maui's dolphin was recovered from Sunset Beach, just to the south of the Waikato River on Monday.

In a separate incident a very young South Island Hector's dolphin was reported on Farewell Spit last Friday. This dolphin was found by a local tour operator who reported it to DOC.

‘Because we are trying to understand all of the threats to Hector's dolphins, it's crucial that the public let us know when they come across a dead dolphin,’ said Ms McConnell.

A necropsy on this dolphin showed that it was very young, and was likely to have been separated from its mother.

It's currently the breeding season for Hector's dolphins, and the dolphins generally come closer to shore to breed and produce their calves. Hector's dolphin calves are about 60 cms long, and look like ‘a rugby ball with fins’ according to Ms McConnell.

The Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Fisheries are working on a Threat Management Plan to address threats to Hector's dolphins, which is likely to be released in 2007.