A Hector’s dolphin was found dead on Christchurch’s Brighton Beach by a member of the public on Saturday.
Department of Conservation aquatic director Elizabeth Heeg said the dolphin had no marks on the body and it was too early to state the cause of death.
“The adult dolphin appeared to have died recently," Hegg said.
The dolphin has been sent to Massey University where a necropsy will be carried out to find the cause of death.
“From necropsies done by the Massey team, we can glean really valuable information about this species and the threats they face," Hegg said.
DOC says the mammal had no marks on its body and it's too early to state the cause of death. (Source: 1News)
This is the twelfth Hector's dolphin found dead in the South Island since November last year.
“At this stage we don’t know why we’ve had this many Hector’s dolphins wash up over the past four months, and we will need to await the remaining necropsy results to understand more about possible causes of death," Hegg said.
The population of the Hector’s dolphin is estimated to be around 15,000 and are classified as nationally vulnerable in the national threat classification system.
“Maternal separation, potentially during storm conditions, has been cited as the possible cause of death of those three calves," Hegg said.
“The information from the necropsies will help us build our understanding of Hector’s and Māui dolphins and help with future planning for marine protection and management."
Hegg thanked the member of the public who found the dolphin and reported it.
“When people are quick to alert us to discoveries of dead dolphins, it increases the volume and value of the information we can obtain.”
Dead Hector’s or Māui dolphins can be reported to DOC via 0800 DOC HOT. Live sightings can also be reported via the DOC website, or the hotline.
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