Rowers spot ‘very unusual’ — and ‘friendly’ — sea creature in New Zealand. See it swim
A rowing team training in a New Zealand harbor noticed a “rare” — and “friendly” — sea creature, wildlife officials said. Videos show the “very unusual” sighting.
The rowers were training at the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland early in the morning of Dec. 11 when they noticed a “rare” dolphin, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation said in a Dec. 11 news release.
“Later, one of the rowers returned with her dad around 11 a.m. and saw the dolphin again,” Kirsty Prior, a manager with the department, said in the release.
Wildlife officials said the sea creature is “likely” a Hector’s dolphin but could be a “critically endangered Māui dolphin.” Either way, the sighting was “very unusual” because neither species is typically found near Auckland.
The department shared a video of the “rare” dolphin on Facebook. The footage, filmed by Jason Britten, shows the dolphin surfacing briefly and swimming around the harbor.
“Hector’s dolphins, and the closely related Māui dolphin, have a distinctive rounded dorsal fin that looks like one of Mickey Mouse’s ears,” Prior said in the release. “They have grey, white and black markings on their bodies.”
Found only in New Zealand, Hector’s dolphins are considered vulnerable and have a wild population of less than 16,000 animals, officials said. They also are among the smallest dolphins globally, reaching about 5 feet long.
Lucy Britten also shared videos of the dolphin on Facebook. “He was a friendly little guy for sure but we made sure to give him space,” she wrote. “It was very curious and didn’t seem to be bothered by us at all.”
Christine Rose, a wildlife enthusiast who also saw the dolphin, commented on Facebook saying, “We were so amazed to be able to see this wee fellow on the water today. A real highlight.”
Wildlife officials are monitoring Waitematā Harbour in hopes of collecting DNA from the dolphin to confirm its identification.
Waitematā Harbour is part of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand and located on the northern end of North Island.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 8:48 AM with the headline "Rowers spot ‘very unusual’ — and ‘friendly’ — sea creature in New Zealand. See it swim."
