The critically endangered dolphin subspecies living off New Zealand's North Island is the Māui dolphin.
The Māui dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) is a subspecies of Hector's dolphin found along the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is one of the rarest dolphins in the world, with a very small population and a restricted range. Māui dolphins usually remain in shallow coastal waters, where they may be exposed to fishing nets and other human-caused hazards.
The subspecies was formally recognized in 2002 after researchers identified genetic and skeletal differences from South Island Hector's dolphins. The name Māui refers to Te Ika-a-Māui, the Māori name for New Zealand's North Island; popoto is a Māori word for dolphin.
Māui dolphins look much like their South Island relatives: both have compact bodies, gray-white-black coloring, short snouts, and rounded dorsal fins. That resemblance often causes confusion. The important distinction is geography and conservation status: Māui dolphins are the North Island form, while the more numerous Hector's dolphin subspecies is associated primarily with the South Island.