NZ tourists spend $24m on dolphins

Travellers spent some $24 million dollars last year watching and swimming with dolphins in New Zealand, according to reports.

New Zealand dolphins generated some $24 million (£8.7 million) for the economy last year as tourists flocked to see and swim with the animals.

According to ministry of tourism figures obtained by WWF New Zealand, around 103,000 people took part in dolphin watching and swimming last year.

Activities focused mainly on Hector's dolphins and the WWF said that their value to the economy is another reason to protect the threatened species.

Chris Howe, executive director of WWF New Zealand, said: "Obviously, Hector's dolphins are in fact priceless.

"They are amazing creatures and live only in New Zealand. But their economic value is another reason to protect them."

Hector's dolphins are thought to have dropped in number by 70 per cent since the 1970s.

Another species found in the waters around New Zealand, Maui's dolphins, are the rarest marine dolphins in the world, with only around 111 left in the wild.

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NZ Tourists Spend $24m On Dolphins