The endangered Hector’s dolphin. January 2023. Kaikoura, New Zealand. They are endemic to New Zealand and officially endangered , with an estimated population of 5000 left. They live in coastal waters. The biggest threat to their survival is by far fishing with bycatch and entanglements. As a result of both commercial and recreational fishing activities, Hector’s dolphins usually end up getting caught in gillnets and trawls. Researchers even affirmed that entanglements caused a loss of genetic diversity in this species of dolphin. In an effort to save Hector’s dolphins, the ministry of fisheries of New Zealand took action and banned the use of gillnets within 4 miles of the coast. They also created several sanctuaries around the South Island to help the populations recover.