Maui dolphin are distinguishable from other dolphin species by their rounded dorsal fin and small body.

Only 55 Maui dolphins remain in New Zealand's waters, and now the people of Taranaki are being asked to help track their dwindling numbers.

Maui dolphin are distinguishable by their rounded dorsal fin and small bodies, which are the size of the average bath tub.

But the World Wildlife Fund (WWWF) said sightings are both haphazard and rare, making the public's involvement vital to understanding their movements.

The charity's senior campaigner, Alex Smith, and research and policy officer Mandy Leathers travelled from Kapiti to Taranaki from January 26 to 28 to spread information on how the public can help their cause.

Smith said current government studies focused only on areas where the the dolphins were most abundant and did not include the areas at the ends of their known habitat.

READ MORE:

*Government's search for Maui's dolphin sinks Taranaki fisheries

*Endangered Maui's dolphin numbers falling

*New Taranaki exploration sites could harm Maui's dolphins

"The government has said they're not going to do more to protect the species until there are more accurate studies done on their numbers," he said.

"Public sightings are vital to knowing what area they are travelling in."

Smith said there had been several sightings in Taranaki and Whanganui in recent years but each sighting had to be verified by a specialist.

"It's a mix of them either not being there to see and a lack of knowledge about what to look for," he said.

"Sightings might be more frequent than we know and people just don't know where to send that information."

Smith said the government also needed to help commercial fishermen transition from using set and trawl nets which often ensnare dolphins as well as target fish.

A key part of the road trip is to spread information about the free WWF app "The Last 55", which allows users to log sightings, as well as use the sightings hotline 0800 4MAUIS.

The road trip targeted businesses and clubs whose customers and members spent time in or on the water like Oceans Alive dive store and the East End Surf Club.