Overview
Whales belong to the order Cetacea which includes at least 84 species known world wide. New Zealand has one of the most diverse faunas of whales of any region, with at least 43 species and sub-species recognised from our waters.
The Cetacea is divided into two sub-orders: the Mysticeti (the baleen whales); and the Odontoceti (echolocating toothed whales, that include dolphins and porpoises).
The only endemic New Zealand cetcean is Hector's dolphin, which has two recognised sub-species: Hector's dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori, and Māui's dolphin C. hectori maui, which is the name given to the North Island population.