New Zealand is a world hotspot for biodiversity, with 17,000 known species and half of these being endemic. Experts estimate up to 85% of New Zealand wildlife could be in the ocean. Our actions, at sea and on land, are putting pressure the ocean. This is threatening many species with extinction. About 22% of marine mammals are at risk of extinction.
© Darren Jew
Western Pacific Blue Corridors
Blue corridors are the vital ocean migration routes that connect feeding, breeding and resting habitats for species such as whales, sea turtles and oceanic manta rays across the Pacific, linking Antarctica, Aotearoa New Zealand, Pacific Island nations and the high seas in a single interconnected ecosystem.
These species face growing threats along their journeys, making coordinated conservation increasingly urgent.
Through a combination of scientific research, Indigenous knowledge, community partnerships and regional collaboration, WWF is working to identify, map and protect these critical pathways, helping safeguard Pacific biodiversity while contributing to the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
© C Lilley/Department of Conservation
Save our Sanctuaries
Newly released data shows that 146 marine mammals were killed within New Zealand’s marine mammal sanctuaries over the past two fishing years, with commercial set-netting and trawling identified as the cause. The findings have raised concerns about the effectiveness of sanctuary protections, given that these areas are intended to safeguard protected species.
These deaths highlight significant gaps in management and enforcement. We are calling for urgent action to strengthen protections across the sanctuary network to prevent further deaths and ensure marine mammal sanctuaries fulfil their intended role as safe refuges for vulnerable species.
© Will Rayment /WWF
Māui and Hector's dolphins
Hector’s and Māui dolphins are taonga species. These beautiful, tiny marine mammals only live in Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal waters.
With the Māui dolphin on the brink of extinction, WWF has spent many years working to protect these unique marine mammals through advocacy, research, innovation and partnerships. Among our key initiatives are the Māui Drone Project, which pioneered the use of AI-powered drone technology to locate, track and identify Māui and Hector’s dolphins, improving our understanding of their movements, habitat use and interactions with fishing activity.
We have also supported the development of the SeaSpotter app, a citizen science platform that enables the public, tourism operators and researchers to record marine mammal sightings. By helping to fill critical data gaps for many of New Zealand’s marine species, SeaSpotter supports more informed conservation and management decisions.