Course: The Significance of Whales to Aotearoa New Zealand

In the years before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, relations between Māori and Pākehā were based on the Māori people’s complete authority over their own tribal areas. The much …

In the twentieth century, whaling became more industrialised and deadly. But during the 1970s, Aotearoa New Zealand’s attitude to whaling changed – from general support to active opposition. Now, whale …

As we’ve learned, Māori welcomed the meat, bone, and ivory that could be gathered when whales stranded. Such events provided enormous amounts of protein – something not readily available in …

Aotearoa New Zealand is a global hotspot for whales, but it is also a hotspot for whale strandings, with the highest rate of marine mammal strandings anywhere in the world. …

We saw in week one how dolphins in particular socialise with other cetaceans beyond the bounds of their own species. But they aren’t just friendly with each other; stories abound …

The nguru is a traditional nose flute that is unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. It has an up-turned snout end, into which the player exhales through one nostril, and two …

The strength, density, weight, and durability of both whale teeth and bones made it an ideal material for tools and weapons seeing heavy use. In this step we will look …

This is a dramatic tale of treachery and revenge involving the chief Tinirau, his pet whale, Tutunui, and Tinirau’s sinister guest, Kae. The story reveals the complex relationship that Māori …

Maori people had benign contact with whales for more than a thousand years of coastal and ocean-going travel before European colonisation. All whales, but especially sperm whales, were regarded as …

Cetaceans are a diverse group of animals and as a whole, the toothed whales are both very social, and very intelligent. That socialisation can be seen in the way many …

Big brain Cetaceans, and specifically the sperm whale, hold the record for the world’s largest brain. More tellingly when it comes to intelligence, they have a brain:body ratio second only …

While this course is primarily about modern whales and their interactions with humans; their story actually starts a few million years ago, with the fascinating story of how air-breathing, land-dwelling …

It may seem counterintuitive, but to protect some of the largest animals on earth we must preserve some of the smallest. A vital consideration in protecting whales – and perhaps …

Shipping traffic continues to grow worldwide, alongside both the speed and size of those ships. Many of the world’s busiest shipping zones cross directly into waters that are whales’ ancestral …

When thinking about the unfathomable depth and breadth of the world’s oceans, it can feel like any pollutants from humans that wind up there must be diluted beyond carrying any …