Māui dolphin sightings are rare on the Whanganui coast - but that's why they are so important, two WWF staff members say.
The world's smallest and rarest dolphin is found from Dargaville to Whanganui on the west coast of the North Island, from inshore to depths of 100m.
WWF campaigner David Tong and researcher Amanda Leathers were in Whanganui last Thursday to talk about them.
The dolphins are much more commonly spotted, and surveyed, off the Auckland and Waikato coasts. That's why sightings here are so important.
Māui dolphins' most distinctive feature is their rounded "Micky Mouse ear" dorsal fin.