West Coast southern right whales
A southern right whale snorkelling off the
coast of Hokitika
Whales along the West Coast are being photographed as part of a nationwide research project into the movement patterns of Southern right whales.
DOC staff are trying to identify whether the whales being sighted off the mainland of New Zealand are geographically isolated from those that breed further south. No movements between these areas have been documented, indicating that the mainland whales could represent a separate population.
If this was the case, it would make the mainland whales very rare. These whales would be afforded a high level of protection from potential impacts, such as marine farms, ship strike and coastal development.
Marine Specialist Don
Neale searching for
whales along the West
Coast
You can help
Do report sightings of southern right whales to the Department of Conservation. The whales spend a large portion of their winter breeding months (June - September) very close to the shore in sheltered waters. This is exciting as it provides a rare opportunity for members of the public to see whales from the shore.