new zealand orca research

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new zealand orca research

The Orca Research Trust (ORT) was founded in 1998 by Dr Ingrid N. Visser .  

The ORT is an officially registered NGO with the New Zealand Government’s Charities Commission. 

It is a nonprofit Partner of 1% For The Planet (a global network tackling our planet’s most pressing environmental issues).

You can follow the ORT on social media via Instagram (OrcaResearchTrust) &  facebook (Orca Research Trust)

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Ingrid Visser

new zealand orca research

Ingrid N. Visser is the Founder and Principal Scientist of the New Zealand-based Orca Research Trust, which works to protect orca and their habitat through conservation, education and scientific research.

Since 1992, she has worked with orcas not only around New Zealand, but also in the waters of Antarctica, Argentina and Papua New Guinea, and has also contributed to orca research projects in the Kamchatka region of Russia, off the North American coasts of Washington, Alaska and British Colombia, and in the waters of Iceland, where she worked with the Keiko project.

Ingrid’s work has appeared in various magazines and on numerous TV documentaries. she is also the author of two children’s books and an autobiography, Swimming with Orca .

She is also a co-founder of the Free Morgan Foundation , working to raise awareness of the plight of the killer whale Morgan, who is currently being held captive and used commercially at the entertainment theme park Loro Parque, in Spain.

© 2024 The Whale Sanctuary Project. All Rights Reserved.

Whale Rescue

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Dr. Ingrid N. Visser – Whale Rescue Co-Founder

Ingrid has attended numerous mass and individual strandings.  She is experienced in sampling and data collection at these events, and in the use of refloatation Rescue Pontoons and other rescue equipment.  She has served on the Board and was a trainer for another stranding rescue group.

Ingrid began studying NZ orca in 1992, going on to complete the first and only PhD dissertation on this population.  Since then, Ingrid has become an internationally-acclaimed authority on orca, having established research projects and studied orca in Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Iceland, Antarctica, Russia, North America and, not least of all, NZ.  Ingrid founded and to this day still runs the Orca Research Trust, Adopt-an-Orca, AKWIC (Antarctica Killer Whale Identification Catalogue), Punta Norte Orca Research, and Papua New Guinea Orca Research.

She is an accomplished wildlife photographer, as her many awards attest to, a PADI Dive Instructor, and a commercial skipper.  Ingrid has been instrumental in introducing the public to wild orca and their lives through her countless TV appearances, starring roles in documentaries, and popular articles in magazines, not to mention her two children’s books and autobiography.  She has published a multitude of scientific manuscripts in peer reviewed journals, along with presenting talks and posters at marine mammal conferences throughout the world.

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  • Published: 14 December 2007

Unique orca hunting technique documented

  • Matt Kaplan  

Nature ( 2007 ) Cite this article

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A pack of killer whales uses waves to knock seals off the ice.

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Visser, I. N. et al. Mar. Mamm. Sci. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2007.00163.x (2007).

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Kaplan, M. Unique orca hunting technique documented. Nature (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2007.380

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new zealand orca research

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Volunteers help care for a baby orca, which was found stranded without its pod north of Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand rescuers try to reunite stranded baby orca with pod

Hundreds of people have joined the search for the killer whale’s pod, with rescuers hopeful his family will return for him

Animal rescue teams in New Zealand have begun trying to reunite a baby orca with its pod after it was found stranded near Wellington.

A pair of teenagers found the male calf caught in the rocks near Plimmerton, north of the city, with minor injuries, on Sunday afternoon.

Rescuers from the Department of Conservation (DOC) and volunteers from the Orca Research Trust have been taking shifts, in freezing temperatures, to care for the calf since it separated from its pod.

The rescue teams were forced to relocate the mammal into a makeshift enclosure on Sunday night when attempts to find its pod failed. It has since returned to a fenced off section in the ocean.

Volunteers help care for a baby orca who has lost its family in Wellington, New Zealand, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AAP Image/Ben McKay) NO ARCHIVING

The local iwi (tribe), Ngāti Toa, named the roughly six-month old calf Toa, meaning “strong” or “brave”, at a ceremony on Tuesday morning.

Dr Ingrid Visser, the founder of the Orca Research Trust, told Australian Associated Press she had not lost hope of finding Toa’s family.

“Orcas travel between 100 and 150 kilometres a day but they don’t go in a straight line. They could turn around and come back here tomorrow. We just don’t know,” Visser said.

The roaming nature of the animal means if a killer whale pod was found, it was most likely to be Toa’s family, she said.

Volunteers help care for a baby orca who has lost its family in Wellington, New Zealand, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AAP Image/Ben McKay) NO ARCHIVING

The DOC is urging the public to report any sightings of orca pods.

Hundreds of Wellingtonians have joined the search, with locals stationing themselves at headlands, walking the coastline and searching by boat or air. The hunt for the calf’s pod has even extended up to Whanganui, nearly 200km north of Wellington.

The DOC said one pod has been sighted in Marlborough Sounds, at the top of the South Island, roughly 100km south-west.

If Toa’s family cannot be located, the next step would be to search for another pod with calves. Orca mothers are known to adopt babies that are not their own, providing they are lactating, Visser told AAP.

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Arrow and Bling: A Successful Dolphin Rescue in New Zealand

Dr. Ingrid Visser is one of the foremost experts on orcas in the world, having studied them extensively in New Zealand through her Orca Research Trust . She has worked on marine mammal research and protection all around the world, including working with the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute. We are pleased to bring you this special report from her about the successful rescue of two stranded dolphins.

On 10 Dec 2020 two male dolphins (Arrow & Bling) became stuck on the mudflats in the Mahurangi Harbor.

Recently, while out on the Orca Research Trust boat, the Whale Rescue and dodoland (EUGY) teams spotted a group of dolphins heading north, near Whangarei Heads. Within just moments of them approaching the boat, we recognized Arrow and immediately began taking photos, in the hopes of documenting him. As soon as we captured him on camera, we sent the image off to Joanne (Floppy) Halliday (who has been documenting the dolphins in the Bay of Islands for over 30 years), to confirm it was him.

While that was underway, we kept taking photos of the other dolphins (at least 15 in the group) and sure enough, we found Bling too (Floppy has also confirmed the match for him).

The distance between the two locations – the site of the stranding and the area of re-sighting the pair – is only 90 km, so it is unlikely that they have remained in this small bit of coastline for the past 90 days. Although the Bay of Islands is a zone that these dolphins commonly hang out in, we are not aware of any sightings of either Arrow and Bling in that area since the stranding. So, it remains a mystery as to where they have been.

The other dolphins they were traveling with during their re-sighting are well known, and they have been seen with Arrow and Bling many times before. Like Arrow and Bling, they also spend a lot of time in the Bay of Islands.

Several studies have looked at the survival success after rescue for stranded dolphins. One aspect that is considered important is if an animal reintegrates with its social network. We can certainly confirm that is the case here, for both Arrow and Bling!

new zealand orca research

We again extend our thanks to all those involved in the rescue of these two dolphins – and emphasize that taking photos of all stranded whales and dolphins is a vital part of the rescue, especially photos of those parts of the animal that are identification keys, to confirm that the individual has survived.

new zealand orca research

The International Marine Mammal Project has posted a series of blogs about other successful release programs for dolphins and whales:

"Dolphins Held Captive For Decades Successfully Released"

"The Welcome Home Project of 1990 Send More Dolphins to Freedom"

"The Springer Introduction"

The International Marine Mammal Project continues to work to improve the survival of whales and dolphins, with emphasis on ending whaling and dolphin hunts, ending the captivity of whales and dolphins, cleaning up plastic pollution, stopping the entanglement and drowning of cetaceans and other marine life in fishing nets and lines, and protecting the ocean habitat from offshore oil drilling and other impacts. We hope you will donate to our work to continue the protection of whales and dolphins around the world. Thank you!

new zealand orca research

IMAGES

  1. Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals

    new zealand orca research

  2. Orca Whales off North Island, New Zealand Orcas

    new zealand orca research

  3. Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals

    new zealand orca research

  4. Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals

    new zealand orca research

  5. Rescue of Baby Orca (Toa) New Zealand. Orca Research Trust.

    new zealand orca research

  6. Orca Research Trust

    new zealand orca research

COMMENTS

  1. Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals

    Nature Native animals Marine mammals Dolphins Killer whale/orca Juvenile orca Nathan Pettigrew Killer whale/orca Despite its confusing name, the killer whale is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Orca near shore. Do not swim within 100 m of orca Image: Nathan Pettigrew ©

  2. Orca Research

    We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.

  3. Ingrid Visser

    Ingrid N. Visser is the Founder and Principal Scientist of the New Zealand-based Orca Research Trust, which works to protect orca and their habitat through conservation, education and scientific research.

  4. Ingrid Visser (biologist)

    Ingrid Natasha Visser (born 20 February 1966) is a New Zealand marine biologist who studies orcas. She regularly lectures on the subject aboard cruise ships, especially in Antarctica, and has been featured in several documentaries about orcas. Early life Visser was born in Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand.

  5. Orcas

    Researchers are still discovering facts about New Zealand's orcas. For example, more have damaged dorsal fins than orcas in other regions, although the reason is not known. Where do they live? There are three main groups.

  6. Entanglements in the 'Nationally Critical' population of coastal New

    Tweet: A total of 21 orca have become entangled in New Zealand since 1979, resulting in seven deaths, nine whos fate remains unknown and five who were actively disentangled and released. It...

  7. Orcas

    Researchers are still discovering facts about New Zealand's orcas. For example, more have damaged dorsal fins than orcas in other regions, although the reason is not known. Where do they live? There are three main groups.

  8. Full article: Using platforms of opportunity to determine the

    We present the first fine-scale data relating to the occurrence and group characteristics for killer whales ( Orcinus orca) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, as observed from a platform of opportunity (PoP). Group size and composition were examined in relation to water depth and sea surface temperature (SST).

  9. Benthic foraging on stingrays by killer whales (Orcinus orca) in New

    In New Zealand, killer whales are documented to regularly feed on stingrays [106] and sharks [107,108], with marine mammal predations also recorded [109]. In locations where prey specialisation ...

  10. Dr Ingrid N. Visser & the Orca Research Trust Swimming with Orca Killer

    Born in New Zealand, Dr Visser remains the only researcher specializing in orca in New Zealand waters.Her research officially began in 1992 when she embarked...

  11. Dr. Ingrid N. Visser

    Ingrid began studying NZ orca in 1992, going on to complete the first and only PhD dissertation on this population. Since then, Ingrid has become an internationally-acclaimed authority on orca, having established research projects and studied orca in Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Iceland, Antarctica, Russia, North America and, not least of all, NZ.

  12. ‪Dr Ingrid N. Visser‬

    ‪Senior Scientist, Orca Research Trust‬ - ‪‪Cited by 1,477‬‬ - ‪orca‬ - ‪killer whales‬ - ‪cetaceans‬ - ‪foraging‬ - ‪behaviour‬ ... Benthic foraging on stingrays by killer whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters. I Visser. Marine Mammal Science 15 (1), 220-227, 1999. 106: 1999:

  13. Population genomic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in

    killer whales between Antarctica and New Zealand. Paper SC/66a/SM/69 presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, San Diego, CA.

  14. Killer whale/orca: New Zealand marine mammals

    Population: 150-200 in New Zealand The killer whale/orca ( Orcinus orca) is well known and can be identified relatively easily by its distinctive black and white markings and very tall, prominent dorsal fin. They can grow up to 9 m in length, with male dorsal fins reaching higher than a metre.

  15. NZ Whale and Dolphin Trust

    World-class, research driven organisation committed to the conservation of New Zealand's whales and dolphins. We are the leading authority on Maui's and Hector's Dolphin and the only group actively researching their conservation. The latest in the court case in the US Court of International Trade. So far, the judge has banned export to the US ...

  16. Unique orca hunting technique documented

    The behaviour was first seen in 1979, but at the time it was considered a one-time moment of orca ingenuity. Now, Ingrid Visser of the Orca Research Trust in New Zealand and her colleagues report ...

  17. Abstract and Figures

    We present the first fine-scale data relating to the occurrence and group characteristics for killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, as observed from a platform of...

  18. Story: Orcas

    Orca Research Trust. This website, developed by New Zealand orca researcher Ingrid Visser, includes facts, identification photos and a form for reporting sightings. ... Swimming with orca: my life with New Zealand killer whales. Auckland: Penguin, 2005. Share this page Post to Facebook Post to Twitter. Print the full story. Print the full story ...

  19. New Zealand rescuers try to reunite stranded baby orca with pod

    Last modified on Tue 13 Jul 2021 01.10 EDT. Animal rescue teams in New Zealand have begun trying to reunite a baby orca with its pod after it was found stranded near Wellington. A pair of ...

  20. Arrow and Bling: A Successful Dolphin Rescue in New Zealand

    On 10 Dec 2020 two male dolphins (Arrow & Bling) became stuck on the mudflats in the Mahurangi Harbor. Recently, while out on the Orca Research Trust boat, the Whale Rescue and dodoland (EUGY) teams spotted a group of dolphins heading north, near Whangarei Heads. Within just moments of them approaching the boat, we recognized Arrow and ...

  21. Ingrid VISSER

    49,565 Reads 1,056 Citations Introduction Skills and Expertise Cetaceans Dolphins Marine Mammals Publications Publications (61) Initial insights into leopard seal moult in Aotearoa New Zealand...

  22. Stranding, resighting, and boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca

    December 1999 · New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. Ingrid Natasha Visser. Two orca (Orcinus orca, Linnaeus, 1758), photo‐identified as part of an ongoing study in New ...

  23. Research

    However, to date, no research project has identified large populations in any one area. Do orcas have teeth? Orca are one of the toothed whales (Odontoceti), as are other dolphins and porpoises, pilot whales and sperm whales etc. Orca have 10 to 13 pairs of interlocking conical teeth in the upper and lower jaws, usually with a total of 48.