2. By: Bella Laybourn

3. What are dolphins?  Highly intelligent and social marine mammals resembling small, toothed whales that typically have a beaklike snout and a curved fin on the back.  Found throughout the world’s oceans and rivers.  Evolved specialized bio-sonar system known as echolocation to communicate and navigate.  Share many human behavioral characteristics such as play.  Sleep with half their brain awake in order to breathe and watch for predators.

4. Classification  Kingdom: Animalia  Phylum: Chordata  Class: Mammalia  Subclass: Eutheria  Order: Cetacea  Suborder: Odontoceti  Family: Delphinidae  Genus: Cephalorhynchus  Species: Cephalorhynchus Hectori

5. Hector’s Dolphin Characteristics  Smallest dolphin in the world (4 – 5 ft. long)  Unique to New Zealand  Overall appearance is pale grey with black mask around eyes  Only species with rounded, blunt dorsal fin  Subspecies “Maui’s dolphin” is rarest and most endangered of all marine mammals (only around 110 remaining)

6. Hector’s Dolphin Habitat (New Zealand)

7. Hector’s Dolphin to human Comparison

11. Anatomy of a Dolphin

12. Reasons Endangered  Human exploitation & harvesting  Bycatch in bottom-set gillnets  Marine toxins & oil spills  Discarded trash & nets  Collision with vessels  River regulation devices  Sound pollution  Habitat destruction & climate change

13. What’s Being Done to Help?  Dolphins monitored closely to ensure safety.  Emergency conservation measures enacted including rules and regulations prohibiting gillnet bycatch out to 4 mi offshore.  Harbors are getting better protection from fisheries for dolphins.  Protection from trawling fisheries is being enforced.  New marine mammal sanctuaries have been designated in New Zealand.

14. What can you do to help?  Adopt a dolphin.  Buy only dolphin safe tuna.  Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.  Use fewer harmful chemicals.  Conserve water.  Use a more gas efficient car.

15. For More Information  www.wilddolphin.org www.wilddolphin.org  www.defenders.org www.defenders.org  www.earthsendangered.org www.earthsendangered.org  www.whaledolphintrust.org www.whaledolphintrust.org  www.forestandbird.org www.forestandbird.org  www.eoearth.org www.eoearth.org

16. Thank you