Celebrate connecting
with our seas
Toi moana ~ Toi tangata
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
National Ocean Inspired Art Competition
We want to ‘sea’ your artwork! Art is a beautiful wa…
Circular Ocean Scenery
This event is part of Seaweek and is proudly brought to you by th…
Embracing the Tides: Protecting Moana
Solo Exhibition by Alissa Jane Dyer Even far from the coas…
Blockhouse Bay Beach Biodiversity Hunt
There’s a lot more to the Manukau Harbour’s muddy shores than…
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.
The importance of Marine Education
As an island nation, understanding the ocean is essential. New Zealand’s ocean area is 15 times greater than our land area and holds over 80% of our indigenous species, many of which are threatened. Our ocean is more than a resource—it’s a playground, a classroom, a mode of transport, and a source of inspiration. Marine education helps young people develop a deeper connection to their environment, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Beyond that, it equips them with the knowledge and skills to address pressing issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and fosters a sense of responsibility, empowering the next generation to become stewards of the sea.
Short version: 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.
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