Commission for GreenPeace

People from across New Zealand and around the world have spoken out about the urgent need to protect our critically endangered Māui dolphin. In response to a government call for submissions, over 20,000 people demanded immediate action to prevent this unique species from disappearing forever.

The Māui dolphin is the world’s smallest and rarest marine dolphin, found only in New Zealand waters. Tragically, the latest estimates suggest just 55 adult dolphins remain — fewer than the number of Members of Parliament.

To underscore this sobering reality, Wellington artist Sheyne Tuffery was commissioned to create 55 original artworks, each representing one of the remaining Māui dolphins. The striking handmade woodblock prints, titled In Your Hands, feature the Māui dolphin alongside the tuatara — another iconic New Zealand species that once teetered on the brink of extinction but is now recognised as a national treasure.