THE New Zealand Government has mandated that cruise operators limit the time passengers spend swimming with dolphins in the popular Bay of Islands region. Under the new regulations, passengers may spend a maximum of 20 minutes at a time with dolphins, and ships are now restricted to visiting in either...
THE New Zealand Government has mandated that cruise operators limit the time passengers spend swimming with dolphins in the popular Bay of Islands region.
Under the new regulations, passengers may spend a maximum of 20 minutes at a time with dolphins, and ships are now restricted to visiting in either the morning or afternoon to give marine mammals time away from human interaction.
A 2016 Massey University report found the Bay of Islands’ bottlenose dolphins were “being loved into extinction” by tourists.