INTRODUCING
MR HOIHO

Found only in Aotearoa New Zealand, fewer than 5,000 hoiho remain. Despite their secretive nature, they are known for a shrill, attention-grabbing call that gives them their te reo Māori name, meaning “noise shouter.”

Their future is increasingly uncertain. Food shortages, disease, habitat loss and predation on land and at sea contribute to poor breeding seasons and declining populations. Being caught in commercial fishing nets is another significant threat to their survival.

Without action, scientists predict that hoiho could become extinct on mainland Aotearoa New Zealand within 10–20 years. The populations on mainland New Zealand, Auckland and Campbell Island represent three genetically distinct subspecies. Once lost here, they are gone forever.