Marine mammals
Reef heron
Image: Duncan Watson ©
Humpback and southern right whales pass through Cook Strait on an annual migration from Antarctica to their breeding grounds in tropical waters. They are sometimes spotted in the marine reserve in winter.
The Cook Strait whale survey monitors their movements.
New Zealand fur seals/kekeno, as well as common and dusky dolphins are regular visitors to the marine reserve. Although not threatened, these species are fully protected.
Species and classification
The table below lists the threatened and at-risk species that either forage in the marine reserve or pass through it regularly. The species are classified using the New Zealand Threat Classification System.
|
Common and Māori name |
Species |
Threat status |
|---|---|---|
|
Humpback whale, paikea |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
Non-resident Native |
|
Southern right whale, tohorā |
Eubalaena australis |
Nationally Vulnerable |
|
Killer whale/orca, kera wēra |
Orcinus orca |
Nationally Critical |
|
Bottlenose dolphin, terehu |
Tursiops truncatus |
Nationally Endangered |
|
Black-billed gull, tarāpunga |
Larus bulleri |
Nationally Critical |
|
Red-billed gull, tarāpunga |
Larus novaehollandiae |
At Risk Declining |
|
Fluttering shearwater, pakahā |
Puffinus gavia |
At Risk Relict |
|
Northern blue penguin, kororā |
Eudyptula minor iredalei |
At Risk Declining |
|
Reef heron, matuku moana |
Egretta sacra |
Nationally Endangered |
|
Banded dotterel, piopio |
Charadrius bicinctus |
Nationally Vulnerable |
|
White-fronted tern, tara |
Sterna striata |
At Risk Declining |
|
Black-fronted tern, tara piroe |
Chlidonias albostriatus |
Nationally Endangered |
|
Caspian tern, taranui |
Hydroprogne caspia |
Nationally Vulnerable |
|
Pied shag, karuhiruhi |
Phalacrocorax varius |
At Risk Recovering |
|
Variable oystercatcher, tōrea pango |
Haematopus unicolor |
At Risk Recovering |