Māui Dolphin By: Gretchen L., Ainsley M., and Laurel R. Māui dolphins are critically endangered, with only 50 -60 individuals left! These tiny dolphins live off the west coast of New Zealand with little to no protected waters. They eat fish and small squid that can easily be confused with ocean debris. Their main threats are trawling and gill netting.
Trawling is when fishermen drag a large net on the ocean floor. The net has two weighted doors on the bottom to keep the net open and on the seafloor. Because it drags on the bottom it is built to destroy anything and everything in its path, which completely ruins coral reefs and offsets the ecological balance. The net is also fast enough that if a dolphin gets inside they can’t get out.
