The Māui dolphin population may have fallen again after a body washed up north of Raglan Harbour on Sunday.
A local man discovered the dolphin on the beach near Te Akau, 20km north of Raglan, and reported it to the Department of Conservation (DoC).
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The dolphin has been taken to Massey University specialists to determine the cause of death. A tissue sample will also be sent to the University of Auckland for genetic analysis.
"With less than 100 left, Māui dolphin are the rarest and smallest of the world's 32 dolphin species and have only been found on the west coast of the North Island," DoC says.
"There have been five recorded Māui Dolphin deaths since 2008 with the last reported death occurring in Port Waikato in January of this year, attributed to shark predation."
DoC is calling on the public to photograph and report any sightings of a Māui or Hector's dolphins to the emergency hotline, 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Māui dolphins are easy to spot as they have a rounded ('Mickey Mouse') dorsal fin rather than a triangular or sickle-shaped fin like most dolphins.
The Department uses public sightings to help understand exactly where Māui dolphins are found and where they go to inform where protected areas should be.
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