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Save the Māui Organic T-Shirt - Baby Blue

When it comes to creatures close to our hearts, dolphins have to be pretty close to the top. No other species has such a strong reputation for intelligence, socialism, playfulness and gentleness. Humans have loved dolphins since the ancient Greek times, when they were called "hieros ichthys," translated as “sacred fish." Dolphins were believed to be especially friendly to mankind, and killing a dolphin was considered sacrilegious.

Scientists have found that dolphins have some of the most sophisticated methods of communication with one another, a "highly developed spoken language" much like that of humans, using a combination of pulses, clicks, and whistles. One 2016 study, published in Physics and Mathematics, describes how dolphin’s language "exhibits all the design features present in the human spoken language, [which] indicates a high level of intelligence and consciousness in dolphins… [T]heir language can be ostensibly considered a highly developed spoken language."

Why do we care so much about the Māui dolphins in particular?

Māui dolphin (or popoto) are a subspecies of the Hector's dolphin, New Zealand's only endemic cetacean species. Māui dolphins are one of the rarest and smallest dolphin subspecies globally. Māui dolphins are listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered, and by the Department of Conservation in the New Zealand Threat Classification System as "Nationally Critical", on the basis of very low population size. Entanglement in fishing nets is the number one threat and fishing has caused major population declines. Until August 2021, the official population estimate was 57 Maui dolphins. However, the latest population survey shows that there are now fewer than 50 Maui dolphins in the World.

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Māui dolphins are only found off the North Island of New Zealand. They are generally found close to shore in groups or pods of several dolphins, and are generally seen in water shallower than 100 metres (328 ft), though occasionally range further offshore. The current range of the Māui extends from North Cape to at least East Cape (around the long way), with occasional sightings right around the North Island.

Māui dolphins have been observed playing (e.g. with seaweed), chasing other dolphins, blowing bubbles, and play fighting. Māui dolphins use echolocation to navigate, communicate, and find their food. High-frequency ultrasonic clicks reflect back to the dolphin off any objects found in the water. Hector’s and Māui dolphins are unique among dolphins in not using whistles. Other dolphins are thought to communicate through whistles rather than clicks.

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Save the Māui Organic Cotton Hoodie - Bottle Green

Based on 2012 population estimates, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) recommended full protection of Māui dolphins from Maunganui Bluff to Whanganui, banning gillnets and trawl fisheries from the shore to 20 nautical miles offshore and inside harbours. The New Zealand government initially argued that this area exceeded the range of Māui dolphins, but in 2020 extended protection over a larger area than recommended by the IWC, from North Cape to Wellington. Unfortunately, protection still only extends a short distance offshore, and a short distance into the harbours (see map to the right). Some groups in the fishing industry are against increased bans on set nets into waters further offshore and inside harbours, and say other factors are responsible for low population size, including disease, pollution, mining, and natural predation. The IUCN recommended the most comprehensive protection, banning gillnets and trawling throughout Hector’s and Māui dolphin habitat, in all waters less than 100 metres deep. So far, the New Zealand government has ignored these recommendations from international experts.

Māui dolphins currently occupy the warmest part of the Hector's dolphin species' range and, so, may be particularly susceptible to the effects of oceanic warming and acidification.

What does this all have to do with clothes and Sunday Projects?

Currently the New Zealand Whale & Dolphin Trust are fundraising for a new outboard motor for one of our three small boats, used to help monitor and protect Māui and other marine life. They currently need about $15,000, and every little bit helps. All the profit from our organic cotton Māui tees and hoodies goes towards these efforts for research and conservation. You can have a look at our collaborations in our shop, and can read more about the Whale & Dolphin Trust on the trust website.

We have also joined forces with the passionate team at the McGuinness Institute to develop a limited edition set of posters (printed locally in Wellington, New Zealand) to raise awareness for Māui and Hector conservation, which are also available in our shop.

As well as these collaborations, the clothes we choose to wear directly affect our marine environment, which emphasises why we need to make conscious decisions. Polyester, nylon, acrylic (and other synthetic fabrics) are made from plastic-blends and are a favourite of fast fashion houses. Synthetic blends are usually used to save money or to add other qualities to the textile (e.g. fire-resistant, soft, etc). The plastic fibres of these kinds of clothes release with wear and washing and turn into microplastics. It is a big issue as most modern clothes contain plastic, with plastic-based materials now making up about 60 percent of our clothes world-wide.

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Dolphins of Aotearoa Recycled Paper Poster - A2

Whenever plastic-containing fabrics are washed, such as in the washing machine, the microplastics and chemicals inside these fabrics leech into our water systems. Because this process is so subtle and the microplastics are so small, they pass through our filters and start to do some serious harm without us noticing, which is building up into some severe microplastic pollution.

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Once these plastics arrive into our oceans, they are ingested by even the smallest of our ocean friends, as microplastics and nanoplastics fall well within the size range of the staple phytoplankton diet of many zooplankton species, such as the Pacific krill. In fact, it has been found that 56% of surface neustonic/planktonic samples from the Mediterranean Sea contain microplastic particles.

Have a look at our journal article on microplastics to understand more about the connection between the clothes we choose to wear and the state of the oceans.

Other ways to help include:

Report sightings - there is limited data on the habitat of these species. If you see a hector or Māui dolphin (lucky you!), report it to the Department of Conservation here. We need people to report sightings of Māui and Hector’s dolphin from the beach or on the water. This information helps to better understand where they live and therefore where they need protection. Sightings made by the public in the past have helped to inform where protected areas should be located.
Spread the word - share with friends and family information about New Zealand’s marine life and what we can do protect it.
Get engaged - Write a letter to the New Zealand Minister for Primary Industries with a copy to the Minister of Conservation.
Eat sustainable seafood - choose seafood you have caught yourself, using a hook and line, long-line, fishing rod, dragnet, fish trap, craypot, speargun or any other dolphin-safe fishing method.
Research - there are a number of fantastic groups working to look after these animals.
For more ideas on how to take action, look here.

If you want to learn more or support some organisations doing incredible mahi to protect Māui and the New Zealand marine ecosystem, have a look at the below resources: