Seaweek 2027
6 - 14 March, 2027
Across Aotearoa New Zealand
Celebrate • Connect • Protect
Aotearoa New Zealand's Annual Celebration of the Sea
Seaweek is a nationwide, collaborative, community-led initiative to bring all people together to celebrate the wonders of the ocean and explore the ways our lives are connected to it. Seaweek inspires individuals, schools, and communities through fun, engaging, and accessible experiences to connect with the ocean and each other and to take action to protect it for future generations. Seaweek’s main celebration takes place each year in early March with additional events and communications connecting our network of collaborators and participants year-round.
There's a place for you in Seaweek! Together, we can celebrate, learn, and take action to protect our seas.
Upcoming Events
Toi Moana ~ Toi Tangata: Healthy seas ~ healthy people
We are grateful to Kaumatua Joe Harawira (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūhourangi) for gifting Toi Moana ~ Toi Tangata to Seaweek. It acknowledges how our wellbeing is deeply intertwined with that of the ocean and inspires a collective effort to honour and protect the ocean as a taonga (treasure) for future generations. We celebrate the cultural, environmental, and spiritual significance of the sea in Aotearoa New Zealand: Our seas are our survival.
Our Relationship with Sir Peter Blake MERC
National coordination of Seaweek is led by Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC), a leader in hands-on ocean education. Together, we provide opportunities for students and our greater community to explore the ocean, learn about its ecosystems, and discover ways to protect it. MERC events are an integral part of Seaweek’s Auckland programme, offering phenomenal immersive experiences combining learning and adventure in the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve and beyond.
Importance of Marine Education
As an island nation, understanding the ocean is essential. Marine education helps young people develop a deeper connection to their environment, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
Rich History of Collaboration
Seaweek thrives on collaboration to provide opportunities beyond the capacity of individual organisations to strengthen and widen networks, build community capability to engage with marine issues, and provide access to resources and tools.
Celebrate, Connect, Protect
The connections made during Seaweek, with each other and with the moana, motivate people to step beyond appreciation of our ocean and marine life toward greater understanding and protection.
Discover New Zealand’s Sea Creatures
Click on a sea creature to start exploring
New Zealand Fur Seal
Tawaki
Large-bellied Seahorse
New Zealand Eagle Ray
Kina
Black Foot Pāua