Research into impacts of cruise ships in Akaroa harbour

 Akaroa - Department of Conservation is working with tour operators, rūnanga, researchers and Environment Canterbury to investigate the impacts of cruise ships, dolphin tourism and general vessel traffic in Akaroa Harbour. 

Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula is on the south side of the harbour, home to the world’s smallest and one of New Zealand’s most at threat dolphin species, the Hector’s dolphin.

Many species found in Aotearoa including the kākāpō, wētā, and of course the kiwi are found nowhere else in the world, they are endemic. Included among these are Hector’s dolphins.

Also called tutumairekurai (special ocean dweller), pahu (bang or boom), and tūpoupou (to bow frequently), Hector’s dolphins have more names in Te Reo Māori than any other whale or dolphin species.

A taonga species, they are linked to tangata whenua through whakapapa. All New Zealanders have a collective responsibility to protect them.

They are only 145 cm long, 50kg in weight and like Māui dolphins, they have a distinctive rounded dorsal fin that looks like one of Mickey Mouse’s ears and their bodies are grey with black and white markings.

Hector’s dolphins live along about a 50km stretch of coast throughout their entire lifetime of around 25 years and are rarely seen leaving shallow waters.

Once present throughout our coasts, impacts from gillnet and trawler fishing have reduced and fragmented Hector’s dolphin populations, leading to their status as an endangered species. Few strongholds remain.

Once known for fishing, Hector’s dolphin tourism has become the main attraction in the historic French settlement of Akaroa. Beginning in 1985 with a daily natural history tour, dolphin tourism here grew to a thriving $6 million industry before the covid pandemic.

More than 60,000 people flocked to Akaroa each year to view and swim with these kiwi of the sea.

In 1984 University of Otago researchers began a careful study of the dolphins in and around Akaroa Harbour and this work has carried on for nearly 40 years. 

Much has changed in the harbour during this time, including restrictions on fishing, growth in dolphin tourism, and warming waters. 

Perhaps the most dramatic change to the industry occurred in the wake of the devastating earthquake on February 22nd 2011. Substantial damage to Lyttelton Port led to the third-largest cruise ship market in Aotearoa shifting to Akaroa almost overnight.

With the help of Otago researchers DoC is seeking to understand whether tourism has existed at sustainable levels for dolphins at Akaroa. The covid pandemic removed boats from the water and brought relief from human impacts for some species.