- The Hectors Dolphin is one of the most unique types of dolphin. It is very people friendly, more then most dolphins. Most people think dolphins eat seaweed, but no they play with it instead and they really eat meats. They have their homes around NZ.
What is their foods?
The Hectors Dolphin is a meat eater. They like fish, including Stargazers, Red Cod, Ahuru, Sprat, Marine Perch, Yellow-Eyed Mullet and the Lantern Fish. These are yummy, but they can eat Squids, mainly Arrow Squid but when a baby they only drink their mother’s milk.
Home Sweet Home
Hectors Dolphins are only found in NZ waters of the South Island’s West Coast as well as the Lyttleton Harbour, Akaroa and Banks Peninsula.
Baby Dolphins
They drink their mother’s milk for around ½ a year. When they are born, they come out tail first and they are called a “calf”, just like a cow. Since they are mammals they are not born as an egg. Once born the mother dolphin will push the calf up for its first breath of air, since they are mammals they need air to live!
What do they do for fun?
You may be wondering what the Hectors Dolphin does for fun, well they use bits of seaweed as fun. They balance it on their nose and swim with it until someone steals it, or it falls off. They also are very curious and people friendly so people see them a lot when on cruises.
What makes them different to other dolphins?
The Hectors Dolphin is one of the most unique dolphins because it is the smallest type of dolphin. They can only be found in New Zealand. They come from a family called the “Delphimidaes” which is a big sciency word so we call them dolphins instead.
We have a life and so do they
Since they are the smallest dolphin they don’t live as long as other dolphins they usually live around 20 years old. The dolphin is a mammal like us so it needs oxygen like us. They are not born as an egg like animals they are given birth from their mother.
The Hectors Dolphin is a dolphin near extinction so we need to help keep it alive by stopping our threats and watching out for them. They are special and people friendly we need to protect them so they take the tips in the predators section and they will stay with us.
Threats and Predators
The Hectors Dolphin has a lot of predators and is under a lot of threats we need to stop and save this unique dolphin here are things we need to stop and be careful about. When you are having a great time in your boat and the Hectors Dolphin swims up to say, “Hi” your boat propeller slices him wide open so be careful and get boats without propellers.
You know how all our rubbish goes to sea, well the Hectors Dolphin accidently swims through plastic rings and gets stuck and eventually will strangle him so recycle your rubbish especially plastic rings and other stuff like that. When you go fishing with big nets the Hectors Dolphin gets all caught up and by the time you pull them up they are most likely dead so don’t use big fishing nets just fish the normal way with a rod!
Now the human threats are done please try and take my advice and help save the dolphins especially the Hectors Dolphin which is native to New Zealand. We aren’t the only problem to the Hectors Dolphin what about their PREDATORS!
The predators are a big part of their threats so we can’t do anything about this sadly. The shark, the shark attacks the dolphins just like any other thing in the sea they grab it in their big mouth and swing it from side to side until it rips apart.
Another predator is the Killer Whale which isn’t really a whale its another type of dolphin. They eat almost everything and even other dolphins. It is a big threat on Hectors Dolphin because it is easiest to catch!
Here is a diagram of the Hectors Dolphin's Life Cycle!