Akaroa, NZ Today was all about being on the water and wildlife sighting. We board the Black Cat and head out into the harbor, the remnants of a volcanic caldera like Santorini. We are looking for dolphins, penguins, fur seals and sea birds. As we cruise, we pass Onuku Maria a Maori village where there is a meeting house, a kitchen and accommodation for Maori traveling there for meetings and festivals or just to visit local residents living in the area. Soon we were met by Hector Dolphins. These are the most endangered dolphins. They measure about three feet versus nine feet for bottle nosed. They have been driven to the point of extinction by long net trawlers. With a perdition rate of 7% and a reproduction rate of 4% it appears their days are numbered.
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