Hector's Dolphin or White-headed Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is the best-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus. At about 1.4 m in length and weighing 50kg, it is one of the smallest cetaceans. They have a rounded dorsal (upper) fin and have white undersides and grey sides. Hector's dolphins take short (90 second) dives to feed on small fish and crustaceans on the ocean floor.
Hector's dolphins are endemic to the coastal regions of New Zealand. There are two known main populations, one on each side of the South Island. The two populations are believed to be largely cut off from one another by deep water at Cook Strait and at the south-west tip of the South Island.
According to the WWF, thirty years ago there were over 26,000 Hector's dolphins (and a subspecies, Maui's dolphin). Today, due to human activity, there is a struggling population of around 7,270 Hector's dolphins - and Maui's are the rarest marine dolphins in the world with around 110 left. (Full article...)