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Kōrero: Dolphins

Short-beaked common dolphins

Image
Short-beaked common dolphins

Short-beaked common dolphins have buff-yellow patches on their sides and a tall dorsal fin. Despite their name, their beak is only slightly shorter than that of the long-beaked common dolphin (not found in the New Zealand region). They frequently break clear of the water when swimming – this saves energy, as air is less dense than water.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Private collection

by Rob Harcourt

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Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Gerard Hutching, Dolphins – Common dolphins, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/4667/short-beaked-common-dolphins (accessed 24 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Gerard Hutching, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009, updated 1 September 2015.