History Timeline

Past, Present, and Future

Southern right whales – tohorā have been important to the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand throughout our country’s history. Whales and dolphins are important taonga to Māori, with whales playing important roles in the voyages of Pacific peoples. When Europeans arrived, tohorā became the backbone of one of the settler’s first industries: whaling. Like other whale species, tohorā were hunted without regard for sustainability first by early whalers in row boats and hand held spears and then by illegal Soviet whalers in modern floating factories. Whales then emerged as a flagship species of the conservation movement, with the tohorā a testament to Aotearoa New Zealand’s measures to protect marine mammals. Now tohorā face new challenges from human impacts on the environment, which we must understand if we are to support the continued recovery of this conservation success story.

1830’s

Start of whaling

About 30,000 southern right whale – tohorā in Aotearoa New Zealand waters

Photo: Group with two whales, Kaikoura, circa 1910. Taken by an unidentified photographer.
1860’s

Tohorā disappear

Southern right whales – tohorā basically commercially extinct – any seen killed though
1920’s

Population at lowest level

As few as 40 southern right whales – tohorā remain in Aotearoa New Zealand
1935

Tohorā protected

International legal protection given to southern right whales – tohorā globally by the League of Nations
1928 – 1963

No Sightings

No southern right whales – tohorā seen around mainland Aotearoa New Zealand for nearly three decades
1960 – 1961

Illegal Whaling

Illegal Soviet whaling kills about half of the recovering New Zealand southern right whale – tohorā population
1980’s

Tohorā sightings

Yachties start reporting sightings of tohorā around the Auckland and Campbell Islands
1992 – 1993

Dozens sighted

Royal Air NZ Force surveys of Auckland and Campbell Islands showed dozens of whales
1995 and 1997

Project Tohorā

Ramari Stewart led surveys in Campbell Island showed high numbers of southern right whales – tohorā
1995 – 1998

Population 1000

Auckland Islands field surveys by University of Auckland estimate population has recovered to around 1000 southern right whales – tohorā
2006 – 2009

Population 2000

Auckland Islands field surveys by University of Auckland estimate population has recovered to around 2000 southern right whales – tohorā
2005 – 2009

Mass die off

Mass die offs of southern right whales – tohorā in Argentina
2015 – 2019

Fewer sightings globally

Southern right whale – tohorā populations in Argentina, South Africa and Australia see fewer calves being born and decrease in recovery from whaling
2020-21

Tohorā Research Project

Auckland Islands field surveys by University of Auckland and Cawthron Institute to understand how southern right whales – tohorā wintering in Aotearoa New Zealand have continued to recover, and see where our whales go to feed.

A HISTORY OF TOHORĀ

Past, Present, and Future

1830’s

Start of whaling

1860’s

Tohorā disappear

1920’s

Population at lowest level

1935

Tohorā protected

1928 – 1963

No Sightings

1960 – 1961

Illegal Whaling

1980’s

Tohorā sightings

1992 – 1993

Dozens sighted

1995 and 1997

Project Tohorā

1995 – 1998

Population 1000

2006 – 2009

Population 2000

2005 – 2009

Mass die off

2015 – 2019

Fewer sightings globally

2020-21

Tohorā Research Project