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.
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.
Southern right whales – tohorā basically commercially extinct – any seen killed though
As few as 40 southern right whales – tohorā remain in Aotearoa New Zealand
International legal protection given to southern right whales – tohorā globally by the League of Nations
No southern right whales – tohorā seen around mainland Aotearoa New Zealand for nearly three decades
Illegal Soviet whaling kills about half of the recovering New Zealand southern right whale – tohorā population
Yachties start reporting sightings of tohorā around the Auckland and Campbell Islands
Royal Air NZ Force surveys of Auckland and Campbell Islands showed dozens of whales
Ramari Stewart led surveys in Campbell Island showed high numbers of southern right whales – tohorā
Auckland Islands field surveys by University of Auckland estimate population has recovered to around 1000 southern right whales – tohorā
Auckland Islands field surveys by University of Auckland estimate population has recovered to around 2000 southern right whales – tohorā
Mass die offs of southern right whales – tohorā in Argentina
Southern right whale – tohorā populations in Argentina, South Africa and Australia see fewer calves being born and decrease in recovery from whaling
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.