Hector's Dolphin: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Dolphins · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Hector's dolphin is the smallest dolphin in the world. A grown-up measures only 1.2 to 1.6 m from nose to tail.
2. It lives only in New Zealand. No other whale or dolphin is found there and nowhere else.
3. A black mask surrounds each eye, and a thin black line runs from its head all the way to its blowhole.
4. Newborn calves wear four to six pale grey stripes down their sides. The stripes fade after about six months.
5. It picks its meals by size, not by kind: most prey is under 10 cm long. It seems to steer clear of spiny fish.

The quiz

1. How long is an adult Hector's dolphin?

• 1.2 to 1.6 m (correct)
• 3 to 4 m
• 5 to 6 m
• 8 to 9 m

It is the smallest dolphin, at 1.2 to 1.6 m long.

2. Where does Hector's dolphin live?

• All around Antarctica
• Along the coasts of Japan
• Only in New Zealand (correct)
• Only in Australia

It is found only in New Zealand.

3. What surrounds the eyes of Hector's dolphin?

• A white ring
• A yellow patch
• Orange spots
• A black mask (correct)

Its eyes are surrounded by a black mask.

4. How many pale stripes does a newborn calf have on its sides?

• Just one
• Four to six (correct)
• Ten to twelve
• Around twenty

Calves show four to six pale grey stripes for about six months.

5. What size is most of the prey Hector's dolphins eat?

• Mostly over 1 m long
• Mostly over 50 cm long
• Mostly under 10 cm long (correct)
• Mostly over 2 m long

It chooses prey by size, mostly under 10 cm long.

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