“Every minute that a species like Māui spends at that population size is a risk in and of itself,” says Slooten. “Anything could happen. And it could happen quickly, and we could lose them—literally any minute. “Māui dolphins are literally teetering on the brink of extinction.”

The population of Māui dolphins has dropped precipitously over the past few decades. Photo by Richard Robinson/NPL/Minden Pictures