|
NEW ZEALAND: Dolphin Species Recorded For First Time |
| November 18, 2004 |
 | Fraser's dolphins are a little-known species of tropical dolphin. They have never been recorded in New Zealand waters.
|
Experts have confirmed the first-ever recorded sighting of Fraser’s dolphins in New Zealand waters.
After examining an aerial photo taken by a Royal New Zealand Air Force patrol plane, marine mammal expert Dr. Alan Baker suspected the dolphins were Fraser’s dolphins, but sought independent advice from a dolphin scientist in Japan.
“I have confirmation from Grant Abel at Shimonoseki Aquarium,” said Dr. Baker. “He figured, like me, that their location, shape of head, colour pattern, and the size of the pod would suggest either dusky or Fraser’s dolphin at first look—but it’s too far north for duskies, the dorsal fin is too low and sub sub-triangular, and there is no white on the upper flanks behind the fin.”
The Fraser’s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) was first described in 1970. In his 1983 book Whales And Dolphins of New Zealand and Australia, Dr Baker predicted that Fraser’s dolphins “may be expected in the far north of New Zealand,” but their presence has not been recorded in these waters until now.
On November 9, an Air Force crew patrolling New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 240 kilometres offshore spotted signals on the aircraft radar. On further investigation, the crew sighted four pods of dolphins and digital photos were taken.
Fraser’s dolphins are known to herd in numbers of up to 500 and grow up to 2.4 metres long.
Rob Suisted, national marine mammal co-ordinator for New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, said that the sighting brought the number of marine mammal species found in New Zealand waters to 51.
“That’s more than any other country and shows why some people regard New Zealand as the marine mammal capital of the world,” said Suisted. “Two years ago we only had 48 species recorded in our waters. Since then we’ve had a Ross seal at Waikanae, normally only seen in remote parts of Antarctica, and two ginkgo-toothed whales, a 6-metre beaked whale first described in the 1950s and one of the least-known animals on the planet.”
While much is known about marine mammals around New Zealand’s coasts, Suisted said, little is known of whales and dolphins throughout the country’s EEZ.
Source: New Zealand Department of Conservation
|
