| General Information Stingrays Whales & Dolphins |
Whales & DolphinsPods of whales are a common sight in the waters surrounding Great Barrier Island, particularly in the passage between Great Barrier and Little Barrier Island that leads to the Colville Channel. The humpback whale (Megoptera novaeangliae) is now an endangered species. Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is mainly tropical but swims down along New Zealand's Northland coast in spring and stays there until autumn. Large numbers of Bryde's whales were captured around Great Barrier in the 1950s and early 1960s. These days sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), long-finned pilot whales (Globiocephalia melaena) and large orcas (Orcinus orca) are often seen in the waters around the island. Occasionally you can spot a sperm, humpback or Bryde's whale from Awana beach. In 2003, a 9m Bryde's whale which washed ashore and died on the beach was buried in nearby farmland. Other common toothed whales such as large orca (Orcinus orca) are often seen in small pods in and around Awana Bay, Stony Bay, Matawhero Bay and Korortiti Bay. Pods of dolphins (Delhinus delphis) are a common sight in the coastal waters around the island. |
ACT has continued to remove feral predators and monitor wildlife in
The Awana Catchment Trust relies on the goodwill and generosity of public and private donors. If you would 
These days you're only likely to spot the Brown Teal in parts of Auckland
and Northland. And
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