What animal is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family and famously watched in New Zealand, particularly around the areas of Kaikoura and the Hauraki Gulf?
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Whale watching in New Zealand Whale watching in New Zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of Kaikoura and the Hauraki Gulf. Known as the 'whale capital', Kaikoura is a world-famous whale watching site, in particular for sperm whales which is currently the most abundant of large whales in New Zealand waters. The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (just outside Auckland city) is also a significant whale watching area with a resident population of Bryde's Whales commonly viewed alongside other cetaceans Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and Orca. Whale watching is also offered in other locations, often as eco-tours and in conjunction with dolphin watching. Land-based whale watching from New Zealand's last whaling station, which closed in 1964, is undertaken for scientific purposes, mostly by ex-whalers. Some compilations of sighting footages are available on YouTube.
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Killer whale The killer whale or orca ("Orcinus orca") is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as there is no animal that preys on them. Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species, and can be found in each of the world's oceans in a variety of marine environments, from Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas.
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Sand tiger shark The sand tiger shark ("Carcharias taurus"), grey nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf, from sandy shorelines (hence the name sand tiger shark) and submerged reefs to a depth of around 191 m . They dwell in the waters of Japan, Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean and the east coasts of North and South America. Despite its name, it is not related to the tiger shark "Galeocerdo cuvier"; however, it is a cousin of the great white shark "Carcharodon carcharias". Despite its fearsome appearance and strong swimming ability, it is a relatively placid and slow-moving shark with no confirmed human fatalities. This species has a sharp, pointy head, and a bulky body. The sand tiger's length can reach 3.2 m . They are grey with reddish-brown spots on their backs. Shivers (groups) have been observed to hunt large schools of fish. Their diet consists of bony fish, crustaceans, squid, skates and other sharks. Unlike other sharks, the sand tiger can gulp air from the surface, allowing it to be suspended in the water column with minimal effort. During pregnancy, the most developed embryo will feed on its siblings, a reproductive strategy known as intrauterine cannibalism i.e. "embryophagy" or, more colorfully, adelphophagy — literally "eating one's brother". The sand tiger is categorized as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. It is the most widely kept large shark in public aquariums owing to its tolerance for captivity.
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New Zealand parrot The New Zealand parrot superfamily (Strigopoidea) consists of three genera of parrots, "Nestor", "Strigops", and the fossil "Nelepsittacus". The genus "Nestor" consists of the kea, kaka, Norfolk Island kaka and Chatham Island kaka, while the genus "Strigops" contains the iconic "kākāpō". All extant species are endemic to New Zealand. The species of the genus "Nelepsittacus" were endemics of the main islands, while the two extinct species of the genus "Nestor" were found at the nearby oceanic islands such as Chatham Island of New Zealand, and Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. The modern common species names, "kea, kākā", and "kākāpō", are the same as the original Māori names.
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Charismatic megafauna Charismatic megafauna are large animal species with widespread popular appeal, which are often used by environmental activists to achieve environmentalist goals. Prominent examples include the elephant, lion, Bengal tiger, gray wolf, leopard, Przewalski's horse, California condor, bald eagle, giant panda, harp seal, great white shark, European bison, cheetah, orca, polar bear, and humpback whale.
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Giant clam The giant clam ("Tridacna gigas"), known as "pā’ua" in Cook Islands Māori, is a clam that is the largest living bivalve mollusk.
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Resolution Island (New Zealand) Resolution Island or Tau Moana (Māori) is the largest island in the Fiordland region of southwest New Zealand, covering a total of 208 km2 . It is the country's seventh largest island, and the second largest uninhabited island. Resolution Island is separated from the mainland of the South Island by Dusky Sound and Breaksea Sound.
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Auckland Island pig The Auckland Island pig is a feral (but now conservation-managed) landrace of domestic pig ("Sus scrofa") found on subantarctic Auckland Island, New Zealand. Its ancestors have inhabited the island since 1807, and, as an invasive species, has had a considerable environmental impact.
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Southern sleeper shark The southern sleeper shark or Whitley's sleeper shark ("Somniosus antarcticus") is a deepwater benthopelagic sleeper shark of the family Somniosidae found in the southern Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. It is known from depths of 400 to 1,100 m. Its length is up to 4.4 m . It feeds primarily on cephalopods, especially the colossal squid, and fish; its stomach contents also less commonly contain remains of marine mammals and birds. Based on its generally sluggish nature and the speed of its prey, it is thought to be an ambush predator. A 3.6-m-long female caught off the coast of Chile had a whole southern right whale dolphin in its stomach. This dogfish is sometimes taken as bycatch in the orange roughy and Patagonian toothfish fisheries; whether this poses a threat to the species is currently unknown.
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Saddleback (bird) The saddlebacks or tieke are two species of New Zealand bird of the family Callaeidae. Both are glossy black with a chestnut saddle. Its taxonomic family is also known as that of the (New Zealand) "wattlebirds" and includes the two subspecies (one for each main island) of the kōkako as well as the extinct huia. All members of this family have coloured fleshy appendages on either side of the beak known as "wattles". In the case of the saddlebacks, they are a vivid red in colour.
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New Zealand fantail The New Zealand fantail ("Rhipidura fuliginosa") is a small insectivorous bird, the only species of fantail in New Zealand. It has four subspecies: "R. f. fuliginosa" in the South Island, "R. f. placabilis" in the North Island, "R. f. penita" in the Chatham Islands, and the now-extinct "R. f. cervina" formerly on Lord Howe Island. It is also known by its Maori names, Pīwakawaka, Tīwakawaka or Piwaiwaka; the common pied morph is also known as pied fantail (not to be confused with the Malaysian or Philippine pied fantails), and the uncommon dark morph is also known as black fantail (not to be confused with the black fantail of New Guinea). The species has been considered by many to be conspecific (the same) as the grey fantail of Australia and New Caledonia; however, due to significant differences in its calls, many authorities now treat it as a separate species.
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Auckland Region The Auckland Region is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. With percent of the nation's residents, it has by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.
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Little penguin The little penguin ("Eudyptula minor") is the smallest species of penguin. It grows to an average of 33 cm in height and 43 cm in length, though specific measurements vary by subspecies. It is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile. In Australia, they are often called fairy penguins because of their small size. In New Zealand, they are more commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage. They are also known by their Māori name: kororā.
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Moanasaurus Moanasaurus (From Māori "moana" "sea" and Greek "sauros" "lizard"; meaning "Sea Lizard") was a genus of mosasaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Its fossil remains have been discovered in the North Island of New Zealand. "Moanasaurus" was a very large mosasaurine known originally from a disarticulated skull, vertebrae, ribs and paddle bones. It reached 12 m in length and the skull is 78 cm, which shows that "Moanasaurus" was one of the largest in the family of mosasaurinae.
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Ornate skink The ornate skink, "Cyclodina ornata", is a rare species of skink endemic to New Zealand. This species was once widespread through much of the North Island and on many offshore islands in the Hauraki Gulf and north of the Coromandel Peninsula. Habitat destruction and predation by introduced species has now reduced their range to scattered localities throughout the North Island as far south as Wellington, as well as on the Three Kings Islands, Great Barrier Island, and a few other offshore islands.
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Tasman Bay Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, originally known as Blind Bay, is a large V-shaped bay at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches along 120 km of coastline and is 70 km across at its widest point. It is an arm of the Tasman Sea, lying on the western approach to Cook Strait.
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Subantarctic snipe The Subantarctic snipe ("Coenocorypha aucklandica") is a species of snipe endemic to New Zealand's subantarctic islands. The Maori call it "Tutukiwi". The nominate race "C. a. aucklandica" (Auckland snipe) is found on the Auckland Islands (excluding the main island). Other subspecies include "C. a. meinertzhagenae" (Antipodes snipe) from the Antipodes Islands, and "C. a. perseverance" (Campbell snipe) from Campbell Island. The former subspecies from the Snares Islands has been separated as a full species, the Snares snipe ("C. huegeli"), as have the extinct South Island ("C. iredalei") and North Island snipes ("C. barrierensis").
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Southern right whale dolphin The southern right whale dolphin ("Lissodelphis peronii") is a small and slender species of mammal found in cool waters of the Southern Hemisphere. The dolphin is one of two species of right whale dolphin; "Lissodelphis", the other, the northern right whale dolphin, is found in deep oceans of the Northern Hemisphere.
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Long-beaked common dolphin The long-beaked common dolphin ("Delphinus capensis") is a species of common dolphin. It has a more restricted range than the short-beaked common dolphin ("D. delphis"). It has a disjointed range in coastal areas in tropical and warmer temperate oceans. The range includes parts of western and southern Africa, much of western South America, central California to central Mexico, coastal Peru, areas around Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and possibly near Oman. Vagrants have been recorded as far north as Vancouver Island. They live in shallow, warmer temperature waters near the coast. They also live in the tropical and subtropical regions.
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Tonga Island Tonga Island is a small (0.15 km) island in Tasman Bay, off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies within the Abel Tasman National Park, about 1 km off Onetahuti Beach. The island has a flourishing fur seal colony, and is surrounded by the Tonga Island Marine Reserve, which was inaugurated in 1993.
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New Zealand smelt The New Zealand smelt, New Zealand common smelt, or New Zealand cucumber fish, "Retropinna retropinna", is a smelt of the family Retropinnidae, found only in New Zealand at shallow depths in estuaries and rivers. Their length is between 8 and 13 cm.
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Blue cod The blue cod ("Parapercis colias") is a temperate marine fish of the family Pinguipedidae. It is also known variously as Boston blue cod, New Zealand cod, sand perch, or its Māori names rawaru and pakirikiri.