Natural Environment Blog

The Waitaha penguin's extinction 500 years ago appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (above). Unfortunately, the yellow-eyed penguin is now an endangered species. Photo: Christian Mehlführer.

A species of penguin, previously unknown to science, has recently been identified in New Zealand more than 500 years since it became extinct. 

The species, called the Waitaha penguin (Megadyptes waitaha), is thought to have become extinct shortly after Polynesian settlement.

“It is estimated that the so-called Waitaha penguin became extinct between 1300 and 1500AD, soon after Polynesian settlement,” said Sanne Boessenkool, University of Otago PhD student and leader of the project.

Enter The Yellow Eyed Penguin

One of the most significant findings from the research is that, the penguin’s extinction appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes).

With an estimated 7000 remaining in New Zealand, the yellow eyed penguin is one of the most endangered penguin species on the planet.  

“Our findings demonstrate that yellow-eyed penguins on mainland New Zealand are not a declining remnant of a previous abundant population, but came from the sub-Antarctic relatively recently and replaced the extinct Waitaha Penguin,” said team member Dr Jeremy Austin, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.

“Previous analysis of fossil records and anecdotal evidence suggested that the yellow-eyed penguin was more abundant and widespread in the past, but it now appears they have only been around for 500 years,” he continued.

The presence of the Waitaha penguin appears to have limited the yellow eyed penguin’s population to the South Island of New Zealand.

“Competition between the two species previously prevented the yellow-eyed penguin from expanding northwards but environmental changes in the predator population, such as the severe decline of sea lions, may have facilitated their colonisation in the South Island” Dr Austin said. 

Relevance To Climate Change

The research has reiterated the idea that some species are more adaptable to major changes, such as climate change, than others.

“What these unexpected results highlight is the dynamic nature of ecosystem change, where the loss of one species may open up opportunities for the expansion of another.” said Dr Phil Seddon, Director of the Wildlife Management Programme at University of Otago.

Dr David Penny of the Allan Wilson Center for Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Massey University said ”…it is vitally important to know how species, such as the yellow-eyed penguin, are able to respond to new opportunities.”

“It is becoming apparent that some species can respond to things like climate change, and others cannot. The more we know, the more we can help.”

Findings of the research have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Satellite tracking has revealed that Great White Sharks travel large distances to unlikely places. Photo: Terry Goss.

Two great white sharks have traveled 4,000 kilometers from the cold waters of southern New Zealand to the tropical waters of North East Australia.

The sharks began their journey in Stewart Island - 30 kilometers south of New Zealand’s South Island, and made their way to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland.

The journey, of which one shark dived 1,000 meters, has surprised scientists who were studying the sharks. 

“We used to think great white sharks were shallow-water coastal species that lived in cold areas, where there were lots of seals to eat,” said Malcolm Francis, of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington.

“Now we have changed our impression of what they do.”

Possible World Record

Dr Francis added that the 1,000 meter dive could even be a world record for a great white shark.

Although various reports on the Internet claim that great whites have been known to dive to as much as 1,280 meters, great whites, which are known for swimming close to the surface, rarely dive to more than 800 meters below the surface. 

It’s likely that the shark was chasing a giant squid or phosphorescent fish at the time. Dr Francis says that at those depths, it would have been pitch black, and the shark would have been guided by the glow of the fish.

Great Whites “Know Where They’re Going”

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the Conservation Department have been attaching satellite tracking devices to great white sharks to measure position, depth and water temperature. After several months, the devices eventually detach themselves from the shark and float to the surface, where data is transmitted to a satellite.

Dr Francis was also surprised to learn that the sharks traveled in a straight line, and covered up to 120 kilometers per day. 

“They seem to know where they are going,” he said.

Tuatara eggs that were recently found at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in New Zealand. Photo: Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

The first known tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) nest in over 200 years on the mainland has been found at Karori Sanctuary in New Zealand.

The nest contains at least 4 eggs but it is likely to contain more, as tuatara usually lay around 10 eggs at a time.

Staff at the wildlife sanctuary uncovered the nest accidentally.

“We knew of two suspected nests but didn’t want to disturb them to confirm whether or not they contained eggs. The nest in this photo was uncovered by accident, and is the first concrete proof we have that our tuatara are breeding. It suggests that there may be other nests in the Sanctuary we don’t know of.” said Sanctuary Conservation Manager Raewyn Empson.

The eggs were immediately covered up again to avoid disturbing their incubation. Sanctuary staff say that the eggs would have been laid almost exactly a year ago. Female tuatara lay their eggs into a shallow trench and then backfill it. 

About Tuatara

Scientists refer to the tuatara as a 'living fossil'. Photo: Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

Native to New Zealand, the tuatara is a reptile with distinctive soft spines down its backbone. Although it looks superficially like a lizard, tuatara is actually the only surviving member of the order Sphenodontia. 

Tuatara are greenish brown, and measure up to 80 cm (32 in) from head to tail-tip. It can take as many as 30 to 35 years for a tuatara to reach full size. This makes it the slowest growth rate of any reptile.

Tuatara usually lives to around 60 or 70, but they have been known to live to more than 100. In fact, one tuatara was seen mating last year at the ripe old age of 111.

The tuatara’s ancestory dates back to the dinosaur time. Ancestors of the tuatara and many other sphenodons were roaming the world 225 million years ago. This was about the time the first dinosaurs appeared. 

All other sphenodons disappeared around 65 million years ago and exist only as fossils. As a result, scientists often refer to tuatara as “living fossils”.

Tuatara Mating & Breeding

Tuatara mating last year at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in New Zealand. Photo: Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

Staff at the wildlife sanctuary suspected that tuatara were about to breed. They witnessed tuatara mating for the first time in March/April last year. Then around this time last year, they witnessed a female tuatara carrying eggs.

Tuatara reach sexual maturity at around 10 to 20 years of age. 

The female, on average, lays between 5 and 18 eggs only once every 4 years, which gives it the longest reproductive cycle of any reptile.

Mating season for tuatara is between January and March. Female tuatara then lay their eggs between October and December. Hatchlings appear between 12 to 15 months later.

Tuatara - Threatened Species

The nest is a significant find for New Zealand because, until the sanctuary was established in 2005, the tuatara was thought to have been extinct on the mainland.

The tuatara, which only occurs in New Zealand, was almost wiped out by rats - an introduced species - by the 1700s. In fact, in 1895, the tuatara was one of the first animals in the world to become fully protected by law.

Since then, significant tuatara populations have survived on 32 remote islands around New Zealand.

I recently wrote about Peter Lik’s amazing photos of the natural environment. After writing that article, I realized that I couldn’t write about Peter Lik without writing about Craig Potton!

So here goes…

Craig Potton is a well known New Zealand photographer and conservationist.

I first came across his photos when doing a Google image search for New Zealand nature photos. Every now and then I would see an absolutely stunning photo and click through to see who took the photo. It seemed that every time this happened, the photographer was Craig Potton!

Since then, I’ve explored the Craig Potton Gallery website and seen some amazing photos. I encourage you to take a look too.

Here’s what Craig once said about photography and nature:

A good photo can sometimes be an arrow to the heart of things, alluding to or eliciting an immediate encounter. It is the nature of art and the way of nature to push us beyond the narrow realities we often become trapped in, to new or forgotten realms of pleasure.

Craig is co-founder and co-owner of Craig Potton Publishing. He has written and published a range of books featuring his own photography. He has also done photography work on movies such as Lord of the Rings, Peter Pan and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Having been born in New Zealand myself, I know how beautiful the scenery can be. It’s certainly a great environment to get a wide range of different landscape shots. It’s always a pleasure to see photos of that environment taken by a master such as Craig.

To see more of Craig’s photos, check out the Craig Potton Gallery.

Mount Aspiring National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand, along the southern part of the Southern Alps.

Covering 3,555 square kilometers, Mount Aspiring National Park is a popular destination for bush walkers and mountaineers. The park is named after Mount Aspiring (3,033 meters), and contains a number of spectacular peaks (including Mount Aspiring).

Mount Aspiring National Park was established in 1964, making it New Zealand’s 10th national park at the time (New Zealand now has 14 national parks).

Some of the more popular walking tracks in the park include Gillespie Pass circuit, Rees-Dart circuit, various tracks along the Matukituki Valley, and the famous Routeburn Track (which crosses over into Fiordland National Park).

There are some great day walks, including a beautiful hike to Rob Roy Glacier. Many of the walks in the area are multi-day walks, where you carry everything you need on your back.

Accommodation on the multi day walks is usually at one of the huts or camp sites provided by the Department of Conservation. This accommodation is usually very basic - don’t expect luxury here. But of course, this is part of the wilderness experience and enables you to feel closer to nature. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Fiordland National Park is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand. It is located in the south west part of the South Island and covers an area of 12,500 square kilometers. Established in 1952, Fiordland National Park is a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.

Fiordland’s landscape is incredibly diverse. At any given moment, you could be staring at snow capped mountains, tussock grasslands, lush rainforests and one or more deep lakes.

Many of the peaks in Fiordland tend to be very tall and steep, and Milford Sound is home to Mitre Peak - the highest peak to rise directly from the sea (see photo).

Wildlife in the area includes dolphins, seals, mice, rats, birds, hare and deer. Most tourists to the area encounter the kea - a mischievous mountain parrot. Lucky tourists may also spot the kakapo - the world’s only flightless parrot, or the kiwi - the national symbol of New Zealand.

Most of Fiordland National Park is inaccessible by road. The only road into the park is Milford Road, or the Te Anau Milford Highway.

The area is very popular with bush walkers (referred to as “trampers” in New Zealand) and mountain climbers. There are several popular walking tracks in the area, including the Milford Track, the Routeburn Track, the Hollyford Track, and the Kepler Track. These walks take several days to complete, and some require that you organize transport to drop you off at the start, and/or pick you up at the end, of the track.

The main gateway into Fiordland is Te Anau. Te Anau is a small town with a permanent population of around 1,800. During the summer months, Te Anau can accommodate more than 4,000 people as many tourists use it as a base as they visit places like Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, or tackle one of the multi-day walking tracks.

To learn more about Fiordland National Park, check out the Department of Conservation’s website.

The kea is a type of parrot that resides in the mountains of the New Zealand’s South Island. It’s one of the few alpine parrots in the world.

Although the kea can fly, it tends to spend a lot of its time hobbling around on the ground. The kea diet generally consists of roots, leaves, berries, nectar and insects.

The kea is known for its intelligence. In fact, it has been rated as one of the most intelligent birds in the world.

Is the Kea Heading for Extinction?

The kea is a fully protected species. It was once hunted and killed because it preyed on livestock. The government even offered a bounty for the bills of kea.

Although it was intended that kea would only be shot on farmland, many would hunt kea in national parks.

More than 150,000 kea were killed prior to 1970. When it was discovered that there were an estimated 5,000 left, the kea received partial protection. This partial protection still enabled farmers to shoot kea if it was interfering with their property or livestock.

The kea wasn’t fully protected until 1986. It is estimated that there are now only between 1,000 and 5,000 kea left in the world.

The Kea is Notoriously Mischievous!

Kea can often be seen hobbling around the Milford Sound region and the ski areas, attempting to cause chaos to humans at every opportunity! They are very cheeky and inquisitive birds. And, as mentioned, they are also very intelligent. Many tourists to New Zealand’s alpine regions can recall at least one occasion of being harassed by a kea!

Tourists will often park their cars to view the scenery and take photos. Kea will then often jump onto the car and try to rip out the trimmings and/or wing mirrors etc. When the tourist tries to get back into the car, the kea will often try to prevent him!

This is exactly what happened to me near Milford Sound (see the photo)! There were two kea, one on the roof of my car, and another hobbling around on the ground. The second one then decided to attack a nearby car!

Unfortunately, it is humans that have caused the kea to behave in this way. Tourists are forever feeding the kea, thinking they are doing the right thing. Although this may seem like a compassionate gesture, quite the opposite is true. Feeding the kea results in the bird becoming more aggressive. In fact, this is seen to be such a large problem that the Department of Conservation has erected signs that read “Do not feed the kea”

Here’s a video I found on YouTube, demonstrating the outstanding intelligence of the the kea:

The New Zealand government has announced that they will dedicate $13 million to upgrade flood protection Milford Sound in New Zealand.

Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist spots. Flood protection seems like a good idea - Milford Sound receives over 8 meters of rain per year.

Given the fact that there is only one (narrow) road into the place, and one small airstrip, the impact of a flood on tourism could be huge. The $13 million isn’t a large amount given the area generates around $230 million per year from tourism.

But I like to think it’s more than protecting tourism dollars. Because of the natural beauty of Milford Sound, tourists to the area tend to become interested in the natural environment and the importance of looking after it.

New Zealand’s Tourism Minister, Damien Miller, says about the flood protection:

This means that we can continue to provide the best possible facilities to visitors, while also protecting the natural beauty of the sound.

Is it Really the Wettest Place?

At 8 meters of rain per year, Milford Sound is the wettest place in New Zealand. It is also one of the wettest places on earth.