Hector’s (and Māui) dolphins
The world’s tiniest marine dolphin lives here in Aotearoa NZ.
Bottlenose dolphinHe terehu
Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphin skull. Te Papa (MM002986)
Opo the dolphin
In 1955, a female bottlenose made Opononi Beach in Hokianga her summer home. ‘Opo’ frolicked with locals and juggled balls on her ihu. She quickly became a national celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors.
Opo the dolphin, Opononi, 1956, by Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Te Papa (F.005006/02)
Range of bottlenose dolphin
Range of bottlenose dolphin, in blue. Illustration by Te Papa
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