Breeds on Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, and on the Chatham and Auckland Islands; non-breeding birds undertake circumpolar traverses in the Southern Ocean flying eastwards across the Pacific.

Adult appears entirely white from a distance, but close up, the fine black wavy lines on the breast, neck and upper back are visible. The bill, normally yellowish-pink, varies in colour. The white tail, occasionally tipped with black with the back of the wing changing from black to white with age. During maturity changes over a period of nine years, identification can be difficult as birds may be confused with other large albatrosses with similar colourings.

Occupies loose colonies on isolated island groups in the Southern Ocean, such as, Campbell, Auckland, Marion, Prince Edward, and Macquarie Islands, and has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean.

Near threatened and endemic to off-shore New Zealand islands with an estimated population of 75,000 pairs. A typical mollymawk with dark plumage on its back, upperwing and tail and a white belly, neck and underwing. Its crown and most of its head is also white, with a dark eyebrow and pale grey on the face, bill pale grey with a yellow ridge and tip.

Fish plays a bigger part of its diet than with other albatross species, comprising almost 90% of the diet in one study.

(Source: Birdlife International (2005) Species Factsheets. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org)

Both species of Buller's albatross are more common off the Otago and Southland Coasts with generally only individual birds being seen. Buller's albatross prefer the colder waters to the south in the Southland Current.

'Seals', Te Ara-The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

Fur seals are known to dive as deep as 270 metres for prey for up to one or two minutes at a time. Their prey is anchovy, hoki, lantern fish, squid, octopus and crustacea including krill.

In turn they are preyed upon by sharks, orca, (killer whales), leopard seals and Hooker’s (New Zealand) sea lions.

Breed on steep boulder beaches with plenty of crevices where they can cool off. The males arrive at the breeding colonies from late October to early November; females arrive in late November and give birth to a single pup conceived the year before. She will mate with the dominant male eight days later.

(Source: www.teara.govt.nz, www.marinebio.org and Collins Guide to the Mammals of New Zealand.)

Their backs are slate-blue with white breast and belly, flesh coloured feet and thick reddish coloured bills. Immature birds lack the yellow eye band and head plumage and have grey eyes. Male and female are alike although males have slightly larger head and feet; its semi-musical call is unlike the harsh note of other penguins.

May be seen in the evening heading back from the sea, where it has been hunting for fish and squid, sometimes covering long distances over difficult ground.

(Source: www.antarcticconnection.com and Complete Book of New Zealand Birds).

Have two distinct colour forms leading to the belief it is two distinct species; one wholly black with a greenish gloss and the other black and white. Long black crest on forehead at start of breeding; only shag with pink feet at the southern end of the South Island. Flies with head lower than body; short broad wings. Considered rare

 Nest in large colonies, sometimes with other shags. Normally feed alone or in little groups of up to ten birds. Diet varies according to habitat but can be small fish, freshwater crayfish, frogs, tadpoles, goldfish flounder or smelt. Little shags feed inshore in water less than 3m deep.

(Source: www.teara.govt.nz, www.treasuresofthesea.org.nz, Complete Book of New Zealand Birds, and The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand.)

Breeds almost exclusively on New Zealand's sub Antarctic islands. Bulls, the "beach masters", establish territory; eventually having about 8 to 25 females in their area. Breeding in the colonies takes place between November and January, with the pups being born from early December until late January.

One of the rarest and most endangered sea lions, the New Zealand sea lion is found only in New Zealand and is designated as a Threatened Species under New Zealand's Marine Mammals Protection Act in August 1997.

Prefers sandy beaches for both hauling out and breeding, wanders quite far inland, sometimes over 2km, while on shore.

In New Zealand’s South Island, schools travel as a unit covering several square kilometres in day; in summer, migrating from inshore to offshore waters to feed on pelagic fishes and in winter remaining closer to shore.

The dusky dolphin is a small cetacean reaching to about 2 m in length, and weighing about 100 kg with a head sloping down from the blowhole to the snout without the prominent beak of other species. Recognised by a relatively straight blunt dorsal fin, dark blue-black tail and dorsal side colour with a dark band running diagonally across the flanks from the dorsal fin to the tailstock. Also have 2 white streaks that run diagonally from the tail to the base of dorsal fin.
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=365

The Australian Black Swan was introduced to New Zealand in 1864 as an ornamental waterfowl, populations are now common on larger coastal or inland lakes, especially Rotorua Lakes, Lake Wairarapa and Lake Ellesmere, and the Chatham Islands. Black swans have also naturally flown to New Zealand, leading some people to consider them a native rather than exotic species.

Partially protected, and hunted in season according to regional limits, with about 5,000 shot each year.

This smallest sub-species is found around the coasts of Otago and Southland to Foveaux Strait, Stewart and outlying islands and up the West Coast to Karamea.

Plumage slate-blue with a bright white belly. Juveniles are impossible to differentiate from adults and both sexes are identical, although the male is a little heavier and usually has a larger bill.

Breeds underground in burrows, natural holes, or will make use of any man-made cavities such as nesting boxes; active on land at night when it is very vocal, braying for a mate or crooning to announce its arrival home.

Blue penguins breed for the first time at 2-3 years of age. High rate of juvenile mortality, but individuals can live up to 25 years of age. Two eggs are typically laid and incubated for thirty-six days. Parents share the incubation and feeding duties.

Diving to 10-20m the blue penguin feeds on surface schooling fish, squid and crustaceans, although dive depths of 60m have been recorded. Usually it feeds 25km from the coast.

An opportunistic forager and killer, considered to be one of the principal scavengers of the Southern Ocean and a significant terrestrial predator at some localities. Regularly attends fishing vessels, including trawlers.

Diet is largely marine and includes mussels, oysters, limpets and crabs.

(Source: www.teara.govt.nz, Complete Book of New Zealand Birds, and The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand.)

Generally light grey to slate grey on the upper part of the body shading to lighter sides and pale, pinkish grey on the belly. High, curved dorsal fin is high located near the middle of the back, flukes broad and curved with a deep median notch, flippers of moderate length and pointed.

Found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters, with New Zealand, where three main coastal populations exist, as the southern most point of their range; frequently seen in harbours, bays, lagoons, estuaries, and river mouths.

They breed in colonies of up to 100 nests on mounds near water, laying two to five greenish eggs from August (at coastal sites) or October (inland).

Hector's dolphin has no discernible beak, a rounded dorsal fin and the fluke pointed tips and concave trailing edges. The overall colour appears to be a pale grey but while the bulk of the back and sides is the same lighter grey of the beak, the forehead is grey with streaks of black, the tip of the beak, black, the throat and chest are white. Above that a dark grey patch runs from the flippers (also dark grey) to the eyes, the belly is also white with a stripe running up the sides from under the dorsal fin.

Two known main populations, one on each side of the South Island, a notable population exists at Akaroa, near Christchurch. Hector's Dolphins are sighted less than 10 km off-shore in summer and only slightly further afield in winter.

Found in most habitats and are most common in coastal or freshwater wetlands, forest edges or farmland. Varied fare includes everything from fish, tadpoles and crabs to lizards, mice and small birds.

The flight of this species is short, rapid, and direct, being performed by a quick vibration of the wings.

A medium-small, yellow-crested penguin, about 55 cm high and weighing 3.4 kg, it has dark blue-black upperparts and white under parts, a bright yellow eyebrow-stripe which extends over the eye to form a drooping, bushy crest and bare pink skin at the base of its large red-brown bill.

Nests in small to large colonies under forest cover or in the open, their main prey is krill supplemented by squid and small fish.

Currently rated as 'vulnerable' as its breeding range is restricted to one small island group, the current population is estimated at around 30,000 breeding pairs.