Hector's dolphin: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Hector's dolphin lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Cephalorhynchus hectori
Group	Whales & dolphins
Status	Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Oceania
Class	Mammal
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Delphinidae

Where does the Hector's dolphin live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Hector's dolphin in 1 country or territory across Oceania.

New Zealand

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Hector's dolphin endangered?

The Hector's dolphin’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Hector's dolphin?

The Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Delphinidae, genus Cephalorhynchus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Hector's dolphin

Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is one of six dolphin species belonging to the genus Cephalorhynchus. Hector's dolphin is the only cetacean endemic to New Zealand, and comprises two subspecies: C. h. hectori, the more numerous subspecies, also referred to as South Island Hector's dolphin, and C. h. maui, the critically endangered Māui dolphin that is found off the West Coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Distinctive features of the species include a rounded dorsal fin, grey, white, and black coloration, and a stocky body shape. Their lifespan is typically around 20 years, and the species favours shallow coastal waters around the South Island, where they live in small groups and use echolocation clicks to communicate.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hector's dolphin (revision 1381256829), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q300961 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).