French Overseas Territories (Wallis and Futuna)

Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas territory lying about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand between Fiji and Samoa in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Wallis and Futuna Islands have 129 km of coastline and both island groups have fringing reefs. There are five toothed whales known to inhabit the waters of the Wallis and Futuna Islands according to the IUCN Red List, including the pygmy killer whale, Blainsville’s beaked whale, ginkgo toothed beaked whale, spinner dolphin and fraser’s dolphin. Unfortunately, the people who call these two islands home are hit hard by global climate change; several tsunamis have caused severe damage to the local communities. Unlike many of the other Pacific Island countries and territories, there are no commercial fisheries based in Wallis and Futuna, and there is no tourism industry to generate income. Luckily, organizations like NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) have been conducting research on developing emergency preparedness programs for the people who call these sensitive islands home.

Protected Species

Blainesville’s Beaked Whale Coral Reefs Fraser’s Dolphin Ginkgo Toothed Beaked Whale Pygmy Killer Whale Spinner Dolphin