A Vigil for Maui's and Hector's Dolphins

30th October 2014 and Dr Barbara Maas and Dr Liz Slooten, Champions of the smallest and one of the most threatened sub-species of dolphin, the Maui’s Dolphin, came to New Zealand House in London to hand over a petition of over 156,000 signatures to the New Zealand High Commission. From an estimated 1800 40 years ago, today there are only 50 Maui’s Dolphins left and they are only found around the North Island of New Zealand. While there are more Hector’s Dolphins (the other sub-species which are only found around the South Island of New Zealand) they too are in need of urgent protection. Both are at severe risk of entanglement in set-net fishing gear. The Maui’s Dolphin in particular is on the edge of extinction. 

Morgan, and mini Maui's and the Petition

What do they need? Full and complete protection from harmful fishing methods across their range. The world’s leading independent scientists, including those from the International Whaling Commission, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Society for Marine Mammalogy, and World Cetacean Alliance partners including Dr Maas herself, all agree. So do 156,523 members of the public. People who do not want to see this small, charismatic, endemic and unique dolphin disappear; People who want future generations to be able to see these dolphins, wild and free. 

Our little Morgan feels the same. With WCA partners Rachael Barber and Isabelle Sikora, Morgan joined a small but dedicated group of Maui’s and Hector’s Dolphins advocates to watch as Dr Maas and Dr Slooten handed over the results of this petition. 

Then with the red buses, taxis and general London traffic rumbling behind us, we handed out leaflets and cheered every honk for Maui’s and Hector’s Dolphin. 

Find out more about Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphin and the campaign to protect them at www.hectorsdolphin.com or the Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphin SOS Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/hectorsandmauissos. Why not follow them on Twitter @HectorsMauisSOS, and let’s make as much noise for these the Hobbits of the Sea. 

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Morgan at WhaleFest 2014

And so after the excitement, passion and euphoria of the release of the life-sized inflatable Orca called Morgan, our little Morgan was off to WhaleFest 2014.

The world’s biggest festival celebrating whales and dolphins, this year’s event was raising money for the World Cetacean Alliance and the Long Swim to Freedom campaign raising awareness of Morgan the Orca held in Loro Parque and the fight to save the Maui’s dolphins.

Never had our little Morgan been somewhere with so many people who are as passionate about whales and dolphins as she is. There was virtual whale watching, where you could actually go whale watching in the Azores without even leaving the Hilton Hotel! There was a submarine experience that took you underwater around the world. Experts and artefacts let you get up close to bones, skulls, plankton and even a real narwhal tusk! An inflatable life-sized humpback whale, based on a real humpback whale named Nile that lives off the coast of the USA which you could actually go inside! Face painting, crafts, activity books, stories read by the authors, shark activities and informative short talks in spouting off…

Nile the life-sized inflatable humpback whale

On an incredible main stage with a screen big enough to fill a house, experts gave inspiring talks on whales and dolphins; from orca researcher and champion of the ‘Free Morgan’ campaign Dr Ingrid Visser, orca captivity expert Dr Naomi Rose, ex-SeaWorld trainer Samantha Berg, champion of New Zealand’s Maui’s and Hector’s dolphins Dr Barbara Maas to Will Travers and Virginia McKenna from the Born Free Foundation. Alongside these were style Guru Gok Wan, Miranda Krestovnikoff from the One Show, Rob Piley producer of the recent BBC Spy in the Pod, and his spy-cams, the very popular Steve Backshall from the BBC’s Deadly 60 and an incredible traditional Maori haka from Ngāti Rānana.

BBC's Spy in the Pod on the WhaleFest Main Stage

Surrounding all these going’s on, intermixed with all the activity, bustle and fun were exhibitor stands of whale watching companies, charities and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) from around the world. From Canada, to the Azores, to Antarctica there were glossy brochures, beautiful pictures and stunning videos. Charities like the Free Morgan Foundation, NABU International (with their focus on Maui’s dolphins), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Born Free Foundation, to UK based ones like Sea Watch Foundation and ORCA. There were representatives from the WCA and Whale Watch International, a global partnership of responsible whale watching companies.

From the issues of bycatch to plastics in our ocean and everything in between WhaleFest truly was a celebration and a success with over £10,000 raised for the WCA and the Long Swim to Freedom campaign.

And then when it felt like things could not get any better there was the cake. But not just any cake, a choccywoccydodah cake! With thick layers of white chocolate moulded into the shape of a whale, orca and dolphin. It was simply delicious and bets of all the most important people of WhaleFest got to eat it. The volunteers. 

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