New Zealand Wildlife- The Coast (Takutai)

I conquered he Auckland bus system and made it to the Auckland Zoo (I'm getting better at this whole public transportation thing!). The Auckland Zoo had animals from all over the world, but I mainly just focused on the indigenous ones. This post will be long, so I broke it up into pieces.

Before I tell more about my experience at the zoo I would like to give some facts about the Auckland Zoo in general. It is one of the biggest zoos in New Zealand and it uses a percentage of the visitors admission to support the conservation of New Zealand's native species (more to come about their conservation efforts later).

Te Wao Nui (the New Zealand wildlife exhibition)- has a very meaningful name- translated it means natural, unique habitats and environment in Aotearoa. It comes originally from the Maori language and has a deeper connection to the history of the Maori. This area is divided into six habitats: The Coast (Takutai), The Islands (Moutere Rahui), The Wetlands (Ngo Repo), The Night (Te Po), The Forest (Te Wao Nui a Tane) and the High Country (Whenua Waotu). This post is about the wildlife of the Coast.

The Coast- Takutai
In Maori, the takutai is where the land and sea meet- the iconic New Zealand coastline. The long coastline and deep oceans make New Zealand's marine life especially rich. These waters are home to abundant native fish, birds, seals, and dolphins. They are also important feeding and breeding grounds for migratory species such as whales and albatross. This vast coastline is home to some amazing wildlife, but human activity is taking its toll on precious coastal habitats and marine life. To ensure a healthy future for the coast, we must learn to share this environment with the wildlife that calls this unique habitat home.

Whales (Tutara kauika)- Baleen, beaked, and toothed whales all traverse New Zealand waters. They feature in tribal stories all over the country. This is evident in intricate designs carved, painted, and sculpted into artworks such as the kaitiaki symbol of Paraoa, the sperm whale, with his brother Kauri. Today, the most common whales in Auckland waters are Byrde's whales. In the Hauraki Gulf they are often the victims of ship strike. This has led to Bryde's whales being classified as Nationally Critical within New Zealand.

Byrde's Whale

Northern Royal Albatross (Toroa)- The albatross, or toroa, is a great long-distance traveller, spending most of its life at sea. After leaving the nest, young albatross do not return to land for 3-5 years as they make an incredible journey across the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. When they finally return, they stagger about as their tender feet are not strong enough to support their bodies. An albatross can cover 1800km in a single day. This is more than the length of New Zealand from Kaitaia to Bluff (from the very north of the North Island to the very south of the South Island)!

Northern Royal Albatross

New Zealand Fur Seal (Kekeno)- These are the most common seals in New Zealand and their population is growing. They can dive deeper and longer than any other type of fur seal: able to dive more than 200m deep and hold their breath for up to eleven minutes. This helps them reach their favorite foods such as hoki, squid, octopus, and conger eels, which tend to live very deep in the ocean. Fur seals have two layers of fur. The outer layer is used to trap air bubbles and keep the inner layer dry and warm. If you part this thick coat, you will find that they are dry underneath! Their fur can be so cosy that they often overheat in warm weather. You might see them flapping their fins to cool off, or flipping sand onto themselves. The sand keeps direct sun off their bodies and helps to cool them down. When seals have pups, they can become very protective and may seem aggressive. Their known predators are killer whales, sharks, male New Zealand sea lions, and possibly leopard seals. Today commercial fishing is one of the main sources of death usually by entanglement and drowning. In New Zealand this species is protected by the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 which specifies that all wild seals cannot be touched or fed. New Zealand sea lions favor the waters around the Auckland Islands as their breeding grounds. Once highly valued for their skins, New Zealand sea lion numbers were severely reduced during the 1800s. Although they became a protected species in the 1880s, New Zealand sea lions now face a different threat: commercial deep sea fishing. New Zealand is renowned for its expertise in fishing at great depths. The main target is squid, hauled up in large nets, for export. Although many fishermen try to reduce by-catch, sea lions and seals frequently get caught in the huge squid nets and die. You can do your bit to help sea lions and seals by purchasing seafood that has been caught using methods that reduce or eliminate by-catch. Check out Forest & Bird's Best Fish Guide or the Greenpeace Red Fish List. They're updated regularly and can help you chose the best fish for your dinner plate and the environment!

New Zealand Fur Seal

New Zealand Sea Lions (they differ from seals in certain physical attributes- but are from the same family)

Penguins- Two species of Giant Penguin are known to have lived in New Zealand and became extinct 30-40 million years ago. Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi was the tallest species ever, at 1.7 meters tall. Pachydyptes ponderosus was the heaviest, weighing 100kg! New Zealand now has six penguin species, the most diverse population anywhere on earth. From biggest to smallest: Yellow-eyed penguin, Erect crested penguin, Snares crested penguin, Fiordland crested penguin, Eastern rockhopper penguin, Little blue penguin. A lot of these penguins look the same- at least to me! The little blue penguin is the world's smallest penguin, growing to just 30cm tall and weighing only 1kg. Little blue penguins once nested all along the New Zealand coastline, but now they are only seen in a few places, including the coast of Australia. This is due to residential development in their habitats and predation by introduced mammals such as dogs, rats, and stoats due to their nests being in shallow burrows. Penguins are now found mostly in areas where these predators have been removed or controlled. To make sure these penguins survive and their homes are not disturbed, we need to act responsibly in sharing the coast. If you walk your dog on the beach in the summer, keep it on a leach and below the high water mark. Stay clear of known penguin areas so you do not put the defenseless penguins in danger. In some places, conservation workers have set up artificial nest boxes. You can even create your own nest box if you find little blue penguins nesting on your property. Visit the Department of Conservation website for details on making your own nest box and keeping penguins safe.

Comparison of a human, the tallest penguin, and the heaviest penguin

Yellow-eyed penguin

Erect crested penguin

Snare crested penguin

Fiordland crested penguin

Eastern rockhopper penguin

Little blue penguin

New Zealand has more species of sea birds nesting along its shores than any other country. A quarter of the world's 360 known species breed here, and many breed nowhere else. Some of its most endangered birds nest in the sand dunes. Their eggs are vulnerable to attack by hedgehogs and rats. Nesting birds are also easily disturbed by people and dogs on the beach. People often don't realize how fragile life is for the animals that live amongst the sand dunes. If you're walking through the dunes, keep to marked tracks. The same goes for when you're four-wheel driving or riding your motorbike. Better still, leave vehicles in the car park, well away from the dunes.

A seabird nesting in the sand dunes

New Zealand Dotterel (Tuturiwhatu)- New Zealand dotterels can be found on beaches and sand dunes along the top half of the North Island's coastline. Storms, predators and people have put this species at risk- around 1700 birds remain today. Dotterel's lay sand colored eggs in nests that are nothing more than a scrape in the sand. This excellent camouflage puts them at risk of being crushed by people, their pets, and their vehicles. You can do something to protect birds like this just by paying attention to 'Birds Nesting' signs and keeping pets and vehicles off those beaches- as stated before.

New Zealand Dotterel

Spotted Shag (Parekareka)- Cormorants, known in New Zealand as shags, are expert flyers and streamlined underwater torpedoes. They can chase their prey underwater for up to three minutes! Spotted shags are one of eight species of shag found only in New Zealand. During the breeding season, these shags grow a special headdress of black crests, their eyes become ringed with blue, and the skin around their bill is vivid green. Together with their yellow feet, this makes them very colorful for a short time. After breeding season, the bright colors fade again.

Spotted Shag during breeding season- colorful with black crests 

Conservation:
Auckland Zoo is working alongside the Department of Conservation to research New Zealand sea lions by funding required satellite tracking equipment. The New Zealand sea lion population is in decline at their main breeding area at the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands. The more information that can be gathered by the tracking of lactating females with pups will enable the Department of Conservation to understand any potential direct and indirect conflicts that may occur with local fisheries and other human activities. This research will provide the knowledge to put in place effective protected areas, if needed, and provide a healthy ecosystem for sustaining New Zealand sea lions and the large marine biodiversity also found in this area. Part of the Department of Conservation threat species management plan is to encourage the expansion and recolonization of New Zealand sea lion breeding areas to areas outside of the New Zealand sub-antarctic. Stewart Island is an area only recently determined to have breeding NZ sea lions.

Little penguin numbers on Moturoa Island in the Bay of Islands have fallen by over 50% in recent years- in part because of the loss of suitable nesting burrows due to slips caused by very high tides. To help Moturoa Island Wildlife Refuge address this problem, Auckland Zoo has funded the construction of 20 artificial nesting boxes.

The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is helping to fund the Gelnfern Sanctuary project, which aims to promote and re-establish breeding colonies of Black and Cooks petrel within Kotuku Peninsula Sanctuary, a pest-controlled habitat on Great Barrier Island, one of only three remaining locations of these vulnerable NZ endemic species. Introduced predators are a huge reason why these species are in trouble.

Black Petrel

Cooks Petrel

A rahui is a set of restrictions that local tribes place on activities and gathering of natural resources in an area because it needs time to restore to a healthy state or replenish its stocks. Sometimes a Pou Rahui is made to let people know a rahui is in place over an area. Today, warning signs, announcements on radio, in the local newspaper or social media are also used. Marine reserves are natural sanctuaries where fish and other sea creatures can live in safety, protected from all fishing activities. Reserves around Auckland include Goat Island, Long Bay, and Pollen Island. Marine reserves have also been preserved so that we can all experience and enjoy these significant underwater habitats in their natural state. Marine reserves there is no fishing, netting, taking, killing, polluting, or damaging any marine life. Pollution, especially plastic waste, kills more than one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals every year. If you see garbage or fishing debris in the water or at the beach, please collect it and throw it out.