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Hector’s Dolphin. By: Bella Laybourn. What are dolphins?. Highly intelligent and social marine mammals resembling small, toothed whales that typically have a beaklike snout and a curved fin on the back. Found throughout the world’s oceans and rivers.
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Hector’s Dolphin By: Bella Laybourn
What are dolphins? • Highly intelligent and social marine mammals resembling small, toothed whales that typically have a beaklike snout and a curved fin on the back. • Found throughout the world’s oceans and rivers. • Evolved specialized bio-sonar system known as echolocation to communicate and navigate. • Share many human behavioral characteristics such as play. • Sleep with half their brain awake in order to breathe and watch for predators.
Classification • Kingdom: Animalia • Phylum: Chordata • Class: Mammalia • Subclass: Eutheria • Order: Cetacea • Suborder: Odontoceti • Family: Delphinidae • Genus: Cephalorhynchus • Species: CephalorhynchusHectori
Hector’s Dolphin Characteristics • Smallest dolphin in the world (4 – 5 ft. long) • Unique to New Zealand • Overall appearance is pale grey with black mask around eyes • Only species with rounded, blunt dorsal fin • Subspecies “Maui’s dolphin” is rarest and most endangered of all marine mammals (only around 110 remaining)
Hector’s Dolphin Habitat (New Zealand)
Reasons Endangered • Human exploitation & harvesting • Bycatch in bottom-set gillnets • Marine toxins & oil spills • Discarded trash & nets • Collision with vessels • River regulation devices • Sound pollution • Habitat destruction & climate change
What’s Being Done to Help? • Dolphins monitored closely to ensure safety. • Emergency conservation measures enacted including rules and regulations prohibiting gillnet bycatch out to 4 mi offshore. • Harbors are getting better protection from fisheries for dolphins. • Protection from trawling fisheries is being enforced. • New marine mammal sanctuaries have been designated in New Zealand.
What can you do to help? • Adopt a dolphin. • Buy only dolphin safe tuna. • Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. • Use fewer harmful chemicals. • Conserve water. • Use a more gas efficient car.
For More Information • www.wilddolphin.org • www.defenders.org • www.earthsendangered.org • www.whaledolphintrust.org • www.forestandbird.org • www.eoearth.org