As Emeritus Professor's Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson pass the baton for Hector's Dolphin conservation, we take a look back to their chance encounter with our founder Ron Bingham, and how their dedication to research leaves a lasting legacy in Akaroa and beyond.

Category Archives: Black Cat News

Navigating Towards a Brighter Future for Hector’s Dolphins

As Emeritus Professor’s Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson pass the baton for Hector’s Dolphin conservation, we take a look back to their chance encounter with our founder Ron Bingham, and how their dedication to research leaves a lasting legacy in Akaroa and beyond.

Is it OK for 20 dolphins to die in nets around Banks Peninsula next year?

How did we get here? Hector’s dolphins (Upokohue) are NZ’s own native dolphins. They are a ‘nationally vulnerable species’ with the population hovering around 15,000. For reference there are about 68,000 kiwi (birds) in NZ. The government through MPI (ministry for primary industries) has been consulting with interested parties on a ‘Threat Management Plan’ (TMP). […]

Hector’s Dolphin Movement in Akaroa

hectors dolphins akaroa

Research shows Hector’s dolphin sightings have moved further down Akaroa Harbour This week, the Department of Conservation have released research into the distribution of the Hector’s dolphins within Akaroa Harbour.  The research concluded that over the past 20 years, the local Hector’s dolphin population is sighted less frequently in the inner harbour region, and more […]

How effective are the government’s new fishing rules at saving the endangered Hector’s Dolphins?

What is this about?   Just under a year ago, a very important matter regarding the future of Hector’s dolphins was opened to submissions from the public.   The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was trying to decide how to further protect Hector’s and Maui dolphins from ‘Bycatch’. Bycatch refers to accidentally catching one species […]

Department of Conservation Business Spotlight

  Business Spotlight A huge thank you to the Department of Conservation for taking the time to visit and speak with us as part of their Business Spotlight series. The series aims to highlight how businesses can get involved in the conversation, and play a part by taking action. Tiaki Promise Kaitiakitanga of New Zealand’s […]

Qualmark Gold in Akaroa and Lyttelton

qualmark gold

We are so so pleased to confirm that Black Cat Cruises has just had its Qualmark Gold award renewed. This award is reviewed annually, and is something we are proud to maintain as we continually strive to be a sustainable, world class operation. ” Your award can be proudly displayed as evidence that Black Cat […]

From Farming to Ferries: the Black Cat Cruises Story

ron and durelle bingham

Black Cat is proud to release this personal recollection of the key events and people that built the business into what it is today. The idea for the video came about when Black Cat tragically lost one of its finest in a car accident. This video is dedicated to the entire team; past and present. […]

SEAWEEK LIVE IN LYTTELTON – FREE LIVE STREAMED EVENT FOR KIDS

Hector's dolphin book

SEAWEEK FUN…. Every year Black Cat Cruises join in with the national celebration of Seaweek. Seaweek is an opportunity to celebrate connecting with our seas….and what better way than instilling that connection with our youngest generation from the very start? So read on and discover the link to our free live concert…and our brand new […]

KEEP YOURSELF AND THE OCEAN SAFE THIS SUMMER

We know how much Kiwis love playing in and around the water in the summertime. We flock to our favorite beaches to swim, surf, paddle board, kayak, sail, water ski and more so it’s safe to say we are a nation of water lovers.…we may even do a once-in-a-lifetime swim with a certain marine mammal […]