Ocean Youth Aotearoa

19/12/2025

After the turtle release, Maggie from Ocean Youth also got to interview Adam from Team Turtle at Auckland Zoo! 🌊
Follow along for more Ocean Youth updates and sign up for our next school holiday intake this summer! Link in bio! 💚

14/12/2025

After the turtle release last week, Maggie from Ocean Youth got to interview Bella from Team Turtle at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s! 🌊
Follow along for more Ocean Youth updates and sign up for our next school holiday intake this summer! Link in bio! 💙

07/12/2025

🌊 Spaces Still Open for Our Summer Programme! 🌞

Keen to spend part of your summer exploring the ocean, learning new skills, and meeting awesome people?
Join us this January for the Ocean Youth Aotearoa Summer Programme!

Over two weeks you’ll get to:
🪸 Snorkel in beautiful marine environments
🚤 Explore the Gulf with Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari
🔍 Do real marine science surveys
💬 Join workshops and leadership activities
🤝 Make new friends who care about the moana

No experience needed- just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!
Scholarships and subsidised spots available.

👉 Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/ocean-youth-aotearoa-summer2026

Please share to help more young people discover this opportunity! 🌟

Ocean Youth Aotearoa is a two week holiday programme run in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland for rangatahi passionate about marine conservation.

27/10/2025

The Ocean Youth Aotearoa Summer Programme is LIVE! ☀️🌊

Are you aged 13–17 and passionate about the moana and marine conservation? Join the Ocean Youth Aotearoa whānau and spend your summer exploring, learning, and protecting our ocean 💪🐙🦑🐟🐳🐬🦈🦀🐠

👉 For more info or to register, head to:
🔗 https://events.humanitix.com/ocean-youth-aotearoa-summer2026

Spaces are limited- don’t miss out! 🌊💙

Ocean Youth Aotearoa is a two week holiday programme run in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland for rangatahi passionate about marine conservation.

21/10/2025

Calling all Rodney Rangatahi ocean warriors! 🐟

Our friends at and .org.nz are hosting some workshops for scientific surveying of the marine environment.

If you're aged between 16-25, keen to learn and help out, and want to add valuable contributions to kelp restoration, sign up now! More information and registration information in the link :)

08/10/2025

Fantastic to see further protections put in place for our precious moana- ka pai to all who were involved in this work 🌊💙

New legislation has just been passed to nearly triple marine protection across the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana. That means more than 1,500 square kilometres of new protected areas – including marine reserves, high protection zones, and seafloor protections.

The Gulf is in trouble – years of damage from fishing, pollution and other human activities have caused marine life and habitats to decline.

This Act is fantastic news and a major step to bring the Gulf back to life – helping fish populations bounce back, protecting endangered birds, and supporting the local economy through tourism and recreation.

Whether you fish, boat, dive, or just enjoy the water – these changes are important. They’ll affect where and how you can enjoy the Gulf, and they’re designed to make it better for everyone in the long run.

Find out what’s changing, why it matters, and how it impacts you here: https://bit.ly/3KI2yTn

📷: School of fish near Mokohīnau Islands - Paul Caiger

10/09/2025

🌊 Our past students said it best! 🌊

Ocean Youth Aotearoa is back this spring — a hands-on, expert-led marine conservation programme for rangatahi who are passionate about the ocean and ready to learn more!

Stay tuned on this page for updates!

05/09/2025

🌊 Conservation Week 2025! 🌊

This year’s theme is ‘Taking Action for Nature’ and our incredible Ocean Youth Aotearoa students are leading the charge with powerful Kaupapa presentations that truly make waves. 🌿💙

On the final day of the Winter Program, these passionate rangatahi showcased conservation projects to their whānau and members of Kelly Tarlton’s Marine Wildlife Trust. Either individually or in a team, the students chose projects that resonated with them. Here’s what they chose!

🌍 Marine Reserves: Why and where we need more
👕 Microfibers and their problems: Microfibres/microplastics in our clothing and how filters can help remove them before they enter our oceans
🌐 Beyond the Net: Raising awareness about overfishing and its impact on marine ecosystems
⚓ Dredging harms our oceans: The impact of dredging on our oceans (check out the pamphlet created!)
💧 Waterway Pollution: Tackling pollution (nutrient and sediment runoff) in Okahu Bay, filtering as a solution and why it matters.
🐋 Project Jonah: Who they are & why their mission is important (plus an awesome poster!)
🌊 Seas The Future: Raising awareness about expanding marine reserves in Aotearoa (check out their instagram and petition here! )
🎣 Sustainable Fishing: Highlighting sustainable vs unsustainable fishing methods and brands (including an informative poster, brochure and petition!)

One of the goals of the Ocean Youth Aotearoa Program is to educate and inspire Rangatahi to be passionate about the marine environment, and these presentations are proof that our future is in great hands! 🙌💫

Check out and for more exciting Conservation Week updates — the journey has just begun!

03/09/2025

🌊🌟 Ocean Youth Ambassadors Meet Legends! 🌟🌊

What happens when the next generation of ocean protectors meets two of the greatest deep-sea explorers of our time?

Our Ocean Youth friends in Australia had the incredible opportunity to meet James Cameron and Ron Allum – the visionary duo behind the historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE dive to the Mariana Trench. 💬💡

From discussing cutting-edge submersibles to sharing ideas on how to protect our blue planet, this was more than a meeting — it was a passing of the torch. 🔦🌍

The future of ocean exploration is in good hands. 🌐💙

Check out the video here! ⬇️
https://youtu.be/T44kT9b6F0A?si=LbDd8oiTZ8nTK5xb

03/09/2025

Sign up with Ngāti Manuhiri to help collect valuable information about our coastline!

31/08/2025

Registrations are now open for the spring programme of Ocean Youth Aotearoa! We are also happy to announce that we have two free places available this time around!

This programme will be packed full of marine conservation and science, including:

🐋 A day with Project Jonah and their life-size humpback walkthrough whale
🛶A look at the connection between land and sea with Mountains to Sea, including a stream investigation and a kayak adventure down a river
🎧An investigation into the importance of underwater sound
📐A scientific survey of the shore at Long Bay Marine Reserve

and heaps more!

To apply for one of the free places, visit: https://forms.gle/emWsMMLdEdTAYgft8

Or to secure your spot, buy a ticket here:
https://events.humanitix.com/ocean-youth-aotearoa-spring

Ocean Youth Aotearoa is a holiday programme aimed at rangitahi aged 13-17 who are passionate about marine conservation

25/08/2025

🌊 Ocean Youth Aotearoa – Winter Highlights Rua! ❄️🐢

Week 2 was packed with epic learning and hands-on action! 👏

🎣 First up, we had the amazing Katie from LegaSea drop by to chat all things sustainable fishing. From bycatch to better habits, she even used snacks 🍿 to show us how different methods of commercial fishing impacts our oceans. Plus, we dove into the awesome Kai Ika Project — turning catch waste into community good. ♻️🐟

🩺 Then it was off to the NZ Centre for Conservation Medicine at Auckland Zoo (big shoutout to our Team Turtle partners! 🐢💚). We met Dr James Chatterton, who gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how vet care, science, and public outreach all connect to protect marine life. From exploring the facility to seeing real tools and procedures in action. We got a first hand look into the challenges and the amazing rewards of wildlife care up close!

💡 The crew also kicked off planning for their Presentation Day projects — big ideas incoming!

📢 Stay tuned... the mahi is just getting started! 🌊✨