A marine biologist conducting research off the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island has reported sightings of the bottlenose dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) — a subspecies of the Hector’s dolphin, considered the rarest and most endangered marine dolphin on the planet.
According to the latest estimates, there are approximately 54 specimens over one year old in the wild. If the sighting is confirmed, it will become a significant event, as the range of these dolphins is extremely limited to the coastal waters of the North Island and their numbers remain critically low.
Scientists are currently analyzing photographic material to definitively identify the animal by the rounded dorsal fins characteristic of this subspecies.
The main threats to bottlenose dolphins remain fishing nets, ocean pollution and the general reduction of genetic diversity.
