Welcome to Banks Peninsula, home of The Hector’s dolphins and eco-tourism pioneers Black Cat Cruises

Tag Archives: Hector’s Dolphin

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). […]

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 […]

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 […]

World Animal Day – Celebrating and Protecting Hector’s Dolphins

akaroa dolphin

Today, October 4th is World Animal Day. It has become an internationally celebrated day to support animal rights and welfare and we are celebrating the Hector’s dolphin. How World Ocean Day Started The very first World Animal Day took place nearly 100 years ago on March 24, 1925, in the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. […]

Hector’s dolphin Education Programme

kids education programme new zealand

  Learn about the Hector’s dolphin both on and off the water……. Did you know that we can now provide a free Education Programme focused on Hector’s dolphin to all Kiwi schools and students thanks to all of our customers. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU……   WHAT’S INCLUDED Every cruise or swim with the Hector’s […]

Kids Cruise Free in Akaroa

akaroa dolphins

Kids cruise free in Akaroa these April school holidays with us at Black Cat Cruises*. We are setting sail every day, twice and day and you and the whole whanau are invited! Join us in Akaroa for our multi-award winning Akaroa Nature Cruise. Cruise through a majestic extinct volcanic crater on board our large double […]

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 […]

Hector’s Dolphin Threat Management Plan – What You Need to Know

We’ve unlocked the mystery behind the recently released Threat Management Plan (from here in we’ll call it the TMP). It’s a very complex document which will bamboozle and confuse the average New Zealander. And even some of the best brains in this space took many hours to understand it! The TMP outlines recommendations to the Ministers’ […]

Swim for Hector’s

A team from Black Cat Cruises and the Department of Conservation recently swam across Akaroa Harbour from Tikao Bay to Akaroa Main Beach, to help raise awareness for the protection of the Hector’s dolphin. An amazing feat for an amazing cause! The reason behind the swim Swimming across Akaroa Harbour wasn’t an easy task, but the […]

The Real Value of Hector’s

Putting the $ in Hector’$ Can you really put a dollar value on a species like Hector’s dolphins? Or should you? Surely the conservation and sustainability of our only native dolphin is enough to drive the correct decisions by our government. It turns out it’s a little more complex than that; the fishing industry has […]