Hectors Dolphin

HECTORS DOLPHIN The Hectors Dolphin has a rounded black fin. Their body is light great and their tummy is white. They can weigh up to 50kg and are 1.5m long. The males are lighter and smaller than the females. Habitat The Hectors Dolphin is found in river mouths and shallow bays. They like being in the shallow waters as their food are close to the banks and easier to get. They are only found in New Zealand waters. Facts • The Hectors Dolphin can live up to 20 years. • They are one of the rarest and smallest marine dolphins in the world. • The Hectors Dolphin swim in pairs or groups up to 12. • The Hectors Dolphin can weigh up to 110 pounds. • One of the biggest threats to the Hectors Dolphin is the gill net. As they are dragged backwards in the nets and drown • They prefer shallow waters usually less than 100m deep. Diet The Hectors Dolphin feed mainly in groups. They eat a variety of fish like squid, red cod, flatfish and yellow eyed mullet. They can eat up to 4kg each day. They use echolocation to find their food as they listen to a returning echo which tells them how far, which type of fish and how fast it is moving. The Hectors Dolphin population is decreasing and now we only have around 3,000 left in New Zealand. We must look after the Hectors Dolphin.