Our last day in New Zealand and it was a cracker, loads of Hector's dolphins, white-flippered penguins, New Zealand fur seals, amazing sting rays and 4 species of shearwater, including Bullers which was new for me. Hector's dolphins are the smallest and one of the rarest with a very unusual 'Mickey Mouse ear' shaped dorsel fin.
Mother and calf Hector's dolphin. This is the smallest species of dolphin in the world, with females measuring about 1.5m.
Hector's dolphins have a uniquely shaped dorsal fin. Typically dolphins have a sickle shaped fin, but in the case of Hector's dolphins it's rounded.
White-flippered penguin, a New Zealand endemic sub species of little blue which also occurs in Australia. We actually saw a white-flippered penguin swimming under water and clearly saw the extra white in it's wing, including on the leading edge.
In fact if you look carefully at this photo you can see the flipper under the water with the white edging clearly visible.
Pied cormorant.
New Zealand fur seal.
Baby New Zealand fur seal.
At least four species of shearwater went past the boat. The majority (about 500) were fluttering, about 25% were Hutton's, 10 were sooty and best of all a new species for me, five Buller's shearwater.
Buller's shearwater (middle bird).
South Island pied oystercatcher.
Spotted shags
The bird on the right is an adult spotted shag.
Sting ray, one of five seen from the jetty.
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