A new survey to estimate the Māui dolphin population is set to launch next week, with the Department of Conservation (DOC) leading efforts to safeguard this critically endangered species.

This research, conducted every five years, uses a proven genetic mark-recapture method to estimate the Māui dolphin population along the west coast of the North Island.

DNA samples will be collected from live, wild dolphins using a small biopsy dart, providing essential information about population size, genetic diversity, and movement patterns.

“The Māui dolphin is critically endangered, and every sighting or sample contributes to our understanding of the species and its future survival,” DOC Ranger Cara Hansen said.

The most recent abundance estimate, completed in 2021, indicated there were approximately 54 individual Māui dolphins over the age of one year in the waters off the North Island’s west coast.

This new survey will provide an updated estimate to track changes in the population and inform conservation efforts.

The survey will be conducted over two summer seasons, in 2025-26 and 2026-27, with field teams operating between the entrance of Kaipara Harbour and the Mokau River in Taranaki.

Staff from DOC’s Taranaki, Auckland, and Waikato districts, the Marine Species Team, the University of Auckland, and Ngāti Te Ata will collaborate on the project.

The public can also contribute to conservation efforts by reporting any sightings of Māui dolphins and being aware of the threat that toxoplasmosis poses to the species. The dolphins have a distinctive round dorsal fin, often likened to an ear from the cartoon character Mickey Mouse.

“Real-time reports help our field teams understand where the dolphins are being seen and improve the success of our survey,” DOC Ranger Hansen said.