Rare dolphin spotted tangled in rope off Auckland beach

Thursday, 10 February 2022

WWF NZ researcher Amanda Leathers explains why Hector's and Māui dolphin are on the brink of extinction. (First published May 9, 2019)

What might be a critically endangered Māui dolphin has been spotted with rope tangled around its tail near a West Auckland beach.

The dolphin was reportedly seen at Auckland’s White’s Beach, near Piha, and was in a pod of three to four other dolphins.

The Department of Conservation is urging the public to report any sightings of the dolphin, so it can assist in disentangling it.

DOC disentanglement team lead Catherine Peters said a team of active searchers was working fast to help find the dolphin, which is considered rare and endangered.

**READ MORE:

The Department of Conservation is urging the public to report sightings of a rare and endangered Māui dolphin. (File photo)

* Body of dead Māui dolphin wasn't picked up because email went to off-duty ranger

* Death of Māui dolphin on Auckland beach a 'huge loss' to future of species

* Then there were 62: Late reporting of Māui dolphin death worries experts

Teams specialised in dolphin searching from the Bay of Islands, Whangārei, Kaikōura, Waikato and Auckland are assisting in the search.

The New Zealand Defence Force is also assisting with a helicopter search in the Piha area.

Māui dolphins are considered the rarest and smallest marine dolphins in the world, with only around 50 left. (File photo)

“Because of this our teams have quickly mobilised to the area to see what they can find from land, sea and sky,” said Peters.

Peters said locating the dolphin would be difficult, and she urged the public to support them.

If a member of the public locates the dolphin, they are advised to report any sighting to 0800 DOC HOT as soon as possible.

DOC is advising the public to not attempt to disentangle the dolphin as it may cause more harm.

Peters said if they failed to locate the dolphin over the next week they would stand by and act on any sightings recorded.

“We will keep working to ensure this animal is safe,” she said.

Peters said her team usually worked with orca and humpback whales, but they were ready to disentangle the dolphin when located.

She said it was unusual for Māui dolphins to be reported tangled, however dolphins and whales get tangled in ropes, fishing gear and other debris “on occasion”.

Māui dolphins are critically endangered from human activities and are considered the world’s smallest and rarest marine dolphin.

There are around 48 to 64 Māui dolphins over the age of one left in the world.

Grey with black and white markings, Māui dolphins have a rounded dorsal fin, resembling Mickey Mouse’s ear and are only found on the west coast of the North Island.

On Christmas Day, the carcass of a Māui dolphin was found on Muriwai beach - a “huge-loss” to the future of the species.