Distribution of Hector’s and Māui’s dolphins

Distribution of Hector’s and Māui’s dolphins

Hector’s dolphins are found along the east coast of the South Island, from South Canterbury to Marlborough and Tasman Bay. They are found down the West Coast to Jackson Bay, and have also been sighted in Fiordland. On the south coast, two bays east and west of Invercargill have Hector’s dolphins. Māui’s dolphin is an isolated subspecies found only along the north-west coast of the North Island from Dargaville to New Plymouth. Both types occur only within a few kilometres of the coast. In 1988 a sanctuary was created around Banks Peninsula to protect Hector’s dolphins, and in the North Island set nets are banned along a section of the west coast.