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.

Tag Archives: conservation

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). […]

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 […]

WORLD OCEAN DAY

Today, June 8th, is World Ocean Day   The theme for 2022 is Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. WIN A PROTECT HECTOR’S MEMBERSHIP To celebrate World Ocean Day we are giving away a Protect Hector’s Membership to one lucky winner. To enter visit our latest Facebook post with the above image and tag yourself or a […]

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 […]

CELEBRATING SEAWEEK

seaweek akaroa

What is Seaweek and why do we celebrate it? How much do you know about the seas surrounding our little Island? Are you aware of just how important the ocean is to us humans, no matter where you live? Whether you know very little or a lot, you’ll learn something valuable through the NZ Association […]

Help stop the world’s rarest dolphins from dying in fishing nets

hectors dolphin

Hector’s Dolphins SOS…. We can never know how many of the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin’s die in fishing nets every year. Many reports are under-estimated and require self reporting by fishermen. Even so, some organisations claim up to 150 Hector’s dolphins are killed in nets each year. Fair to say, the Hector’s and Maui […]

April School Holiday Fun – Quail Island’s Big Beautiful Bird Trail

april school holiday activity for kids

School holiday fun is here on Quail Island! If you are looking for a school holiday activity in Christchurch then look no further…. Best of all adults cruise at kids prices throughout the April school holidays ($15 return per person). So what’s it all about? Well, six native New Zealand birds are hiding around Quail […]

How Many Hector’s are left? In Discussion With Professor Liz Slooten and Black Cat Cruises

Hi guys, we hope you are all keeping safe and well. Over the last month here at Black Cat we’ve taken time to pause, take a deep breath and connect with family and friends either in our bubble or online. We’ve also been busy working on projects so that when the time is right we […]

Celebrate Seaweek 2020

Celebrate Seaweek 2020 by cruising stunning Lyttelton Harbour with Black Cat Cruises and the NZ Whale and Dolphin Trust! Each cruise will also host a very special expert guest from the trust, so you can you learn directly from the scientists studying Hector’s dolphins. What is Seaweek? Seaweek – Kaupapa Moana is New Zealand’s annual national week […]