Fourth National Citizen Science Cetacean Census Hits NZ Shores

Keen eyed whale and dolphin lovers will be braving winter weather to take part in the fourth national citizen science Cetacean Census - or whale and dolphin count, this weekend 24-25 June. The Cetacean Census runs all day both days and will contribute to a growing body of knowledge about the marine mammals close to shore at the same time every year.

People around the country are taking to high points to survey the sea and record efforts and sightings. Previous events have seen people in over 100 locations rewarded with sightings including orca, humpbacks, rare beaked whales and Hector’s dolphins, among others.

The pod poll is run through the facebook group Cetacean Spotting NZ which celebrates New Zealand’s whale and dolphin diversity, among the richest in the world. The event is held at this time when peak numbers of humpback whales are migrating north along the coast heading to the tropics to feed and breed. New Zealand’s humpback whale population has been slow to recover from the impacts of whaling which decimated numbers and continued into the 1960s.

A number of humpbacks, orca, and a wide range of dolphin species have been seen close to shore and recorded on the Cetacean Spotting page in recent weeks, boding well for the weekend’s spotters.

Photo: Dan Vanderstar, Kaipara Harbour

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