The North Island came alive for Seaweek 2026 with 75 events throughout Te Ika-a-Māui! Public events were held in every region! Some of the largest celebrations with an exciting variety of activities were in held in Auckland, Northland, Bay of Plenty, and Hawkes Bay.
Northland
Seaweek in Northland this year was a strong mix of immersive experiences, learning, community action and adventure. Eleven events were spread across the region, from Whangārei through to Mangawhai and Pataua, with a focus on making things accessible so people could simply turn up and be part of it.
Northland celebrations kicked off in Whangārei. A public talk at the Hundertwasser Art Centre, Celebrating Fish of the Whangārei Harbour, explored local species, sharing knowledge and helping people better understand what is living in their local waters. At the same time, out at Reotahi Marine Reserve at Whangārei Heads, the Reotahi Marine Reserve Snorkel Day organised by Mountains to Sea in collaboration with Freemasons NZ Whangārei Division, included guided snorkels that gave people the chance to get in the water and experience it for themselves, supported by knowledgeable volunteers.
Organisers at Reotahi loved the variety of ages, genders, and nationalities of people who attended plus "the smiles on everyone's faces and some participants even registered for a second and 3rd snorkel trip!”
In Mangawhai, the Seaweek Mangawhai Community Clean-Up & MAZ Working Bee, a clean-up in connection with Sustainable Kaipara and the Mangawhai Sailing Trust, Bunnings and MAZ Cafe, brought things back to local action. People spread out across the area, collecting rubbish from streets, estuary edges, and along the coast before it could make its way out to sea. It had a great community feel, with families involved, kids getting stuck in, and a wonderful get together around the BBQ to celebrate everyone's mahi.
The following weekend, was full of events across multiple locations. At Kai Iwi Lakes, whānau snorkelled with Mountains to Sea with all equipment provided, which made it easy for people to give it a go. Over in Pataua, KayakSafe Kayaking Safety and Basic Skills Workshop, with Northland Sea Kayakers, focused on practical skills and building confidence on the water.
KakakSafe organisers loved “the participants' interest, enthusiasm and appreciation of knowledge-learned."
In Whangārei, Ocean Ocean, was a collaboration of Company of Giants and local illustrator Soju Shots, who's underwater artwork inspired a lot of the content to create the show. The production offered something different, using theatre to explore our connection to the ocean.
“The show was really well received by the audience. It encouraged conversation about our impacts on the environment and the beauty of the ocean and its creatures.” - Ocean Ocean event organiser
At Waipu Cove, Seaweek at the Cove- Saltwater Guardians brought young people together for time in the water, shared food, and a beach clean-up as part of the Cove- Saltwater Guardians day run by Waipu Learn 2 Surf school.
“Ellen had great connection with the kids. The Seaweek focus brought in a range of community that I hadn't seen at the beach previously so I feel it was very effective. It would be fantastic to see it run in Waipu again. And thank you for this year's event!” - Learn 2 Surf Waipu Cove participant
“Great way to get everyone thinking about looking after our beach, not just enjoying it.” - Learn 2 Surf Waipu Cove participant
Along the Tutukaka Coast, Free Surf Safety & Introductory Surf Sessions were provided by NZ surf Academy. Along with getting new and experienced surfers in the water, there was a strong focus on safety and helping people feel more confident.
“My kids learnt something new, they never tried it before! And they loved it! The teachers were awesome and soo supportive!” - NZ surf academy surf lesson participant
“The event was a great success, with perfect surf conditions for learning and a fantastic mix of participants. It was amazing to see families of all ages getting in the water together, building confidence, and having fun. Many people caught their first waves, which was a real highlight of the day!” - Free Surf Safety & Surf Sessions event organiser
Northland region Seaweek wrapped up with an evening talk in Mangawhai. Award winning underwater photographer Steve Hathaway shared Stories from the Sea with footage from his work with marlin and orca, offering a glimpse into a part of the ocean most people do not usually see. This event represented a collaboration between Sustainable Kaipara, the Mangawhai Golf Club, and Seaweek.
“The event created a really positive opportunity for local community leaders and groups working in sustainability and conservation to come together. It helped create space for conversations, new connections, and collaboration. It was also a great chance for locals to meet others who care about the ocean and our environment, strengthening those community links and building momentum for future projects and events.”- Stories from the sea with Steve Hathaway event organiser
Participants shared that Steve was "so inspiring and informative" a “very enthusiastic and engaging speaker” and loved “the conservation message and hope for change" and “his passion and long-term vision."
Seaweek 2026 in Northland demonstrated the power of community-led action, with a diverse range of events engaging people of all ages in ocean education, conservation, and connection. From activities to storytelling and skill-building, the week highlighted a shared commitment to protecting our marine environments and strengthening our relationship with the moana.
Auckland
Auckland had over 20 events celebrating Seaweek in communities across the region!
Seaweek began with our annual SeaMERC Day celebration at Sir Peter Blake Marine Education & Recreation Centre’s (MERC) in the Long Bay Okura Marine Reserve. There were over 100 attendees, who enjoyed kayaking, surfing, boogie boarding, and rocky or sandy shore excursions with MERC leaders, plus knee-boarding with Surf Lifesaving Northern Region. Participants could also join in squid dissections, ocean science activities, block printing and colouring crafts, displays about Human-Ocean connections, and engage with UNESCO Youth Leaders and an Auckland Council Clean Below, Good to Go team. A highlight for many was a blue shark dissection with Dr Alex Burton and Dr Laura Jordan-Smith.
“The organizers of the event were so kind and helpful, the activity leaders so patient, fun and knowledgeable! We loved it!” - SeaMERC Day participant
“Great family event. The kids loved the surfing and shark dissection!” - SeaMERC Day participant
Sir Peter Blake MERC also took part in Discover Takapuna Reef during. This annual event is a collaboration between Experiencing Marine Reserves, MERC and the University of Auckland Marine Science Society (UMSS). It was an amazing day of giant standup paddleboarding, rock pooling, and snorkelling topped off with a beach clean-up. During the clean-up, volunteers collected 4 kg of rubbish, 50 cigarette butts and over 100 bottle caps plus some unusual finds! Mountains to Sea also hosted Te Hāwere-a-Maki Snorkel Day another fantastic rock pool and snorkel event at New Zealand's oldest Marine Reserve at Goat Island.
Other clean ups in Auckland during Seaweek included a Coastal Clean-up Walk from Narrow Neck to Takapuna with Restoring Takarunga Hauraki and Pupuke Birdsong Project, and Friends of Wairaki Stream's annual clean-up of Lynfield Cove Day. Around 35 volunteers, including Migrant Conservation Volunteers NZ, collected rubbish from the Lynfield Cove area, learnt about the tidal flat and coastal birds with Kate McKessar from Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, explored the 'secret cave’ at low tide, and enjoyed chatting over some complimentary kai following the clean-up!
Other marine recreation events during Seaweek included an EMR Snorkel at Te Hāwere-a-Maki (Goat Island) and Sea MERC Day 2.0 in at Sir Peter Blake MERC, which featured giant stand up paddleboarding and ocean kayaking sessions in the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve, block printing art, and a fascinating kingfish dissection with Dr Laura Jordan-Smith and Callie Shelley, courtesy of Leigh Fish!
Citizen science was the focus of the Blockhouse Bay Beach Biodiversity Hunt, where participants took part in a Marine Meter Squared survey.
“Continuing the MM2 survey from last year provided valuable continuity, allowing us to contribute to ongoing monitoring and observe how the beach changes over time. It was also rewarding to get to know the attendees and learn more about their backgrounds.”- Blockhouse Bay Beach Biodiveristy Hunt organiser
There were excellent opportunities for all ages to learn about the ocean and marine ecosystems! At the Maritime Museum, Jez Smith held Honu and Blue's Sealife Clues Storytime sessions, also at the Museum, the wonderful exhibition Ngā Huhua: Abundance, highlights the incredible marine biodiversity of the outer Hauraki Gulf Marine Park with lots of interactive displays with leading ocean researchers.
At the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Shark Tales with Clinton Duffy, brought to light New Zealand's sharks and rays and gave participants a rare glimpse at the museums behind the scenes collection. He also shared details on the development of the Museum's Sharks Exhibition, which includes life sized models of some of the ocean's most notorious marine predators, plus ocean-themed craft and activity sessions for tamariki. The museum also had Ocean Zone Detective weekend activities and Shark Quest, a self-guided trail through the museum!
Discover Piha's Rock Pools at Piha Community Library engaged tamariki in a full week of activities learning about Piha’s rock pool ecosystems and the importance of protecting the animals that live there. You, Me & the Sea programmes were focused around learning, crafts and activities at Albany, East Coast Bays, and Whangaparāoa libraries with MERC instructors.
“Lots of interesting information about sea and how we can protect it” - You, Me & the Sea participant
Seaweek was also celebrated in Auckland in creative ways. In Titirangi, there was Seaweek Films @ Lopdell, an evening of short ocean films at the Lopdell House Theatre, highlighting ocean and marine conservation. The ReCreators held a series of ocean-themed craft workshops at libraries across South and West Auckland. Paper Mache Sea Creatures at Ranui library, Circular Ocean Scenery at Mangere East library, Koura 3D Art Mt Roskill Library, and Circular Ocean Scenery at Tupu Youth Library engaged participants in creating art from recycled materials while learning about local marine environments and native species.
"We made sea animals with carboard, newspaper, and paint. A mix of ages, they enjoyed the painting part a lot. Getting to talk with them about our ocean and what amazing creatures lives in it is special. They know a lot about many fish and sharks, not always about our more local oceans and the environment. Having a chat over craft reinforces their understanding and interest.” - Paper Mache Sea Creatures organiser
The main week of Seaweek closed with Reflect and Restore at MERC, which gave participants the opportunity to reflect on our connections with the ocean and each other through a social beach clean-up walk and a restorative ocean-view yoga session.
One participant loved “Making a difference with the beach clean-up. Connections with others, beautiful views and wonderful yoga.”
A final event, that was also part of EcoFest, was focused on Sustainable Seafood. Kina to Kūtai: Sustainable Seafood Workshop included seafood samples, interactive activities and displays about sustainable seafood as well as a panel discussion about New Zealand fisheries and aquaculture, plus challenges and recommendations around making sustainable choices.
One participant particularly enjoyed “The hands-on educational content and the kai moana samples!”
It was so lovely to see such an exciting range of events for Aucklanders to engage with! We are extremely grateful to Foundation North for supporting Seaweek regional coordination and several events in both Auckland and Northland.
Bay of Plenty
Seaweek was celebrated in the Bay of Plenty with clean ups, festivals and more! The week began with the Moturiki Island Clean Up with the Western Bay Wildlife Trust and Paint with a Biologist at Children’s Day, Scientific Ocean Art. The Moturiki Island Clean Up was attended by 30 people, who collected 26 kg of rubbish from Moturiki and the Mount Main Beach.
During the week, there was a Seaweek Quiz Night with Scientific Ocean Art, Marine Momentos and the Feel Good Art Club, complete with a watermelon shark! For the little ones, the East Bay REAP Early Childhood Education Activities at the Port Ōhope boat ramp were a hit!
Natalie Prinz from the University of Waikato ran Superheroes in Marine Restoration for participants to learn how marine superheroes like the tuangi (New Zealand cockle) can help in restoring degraded ecosystems.
Natalia loved “the amount of communication between the audience and myself throughout the session” which included an experiment, a presentation and an interactive game!
The Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital celebrated with a special Seaweek March Partners Forum outdoor networking session, featuring presentations on marine biosecurity and a collaborative rake healing sand art workshop led by Kenrick Smith.
Sustainable Backyards Bay of Plenty, Envirohub Bay of Plenty and other local organisations put on the Good Tides Festival. This festival included yoga and surf lessons, talks on ocean conservation from Smidge Suncare and dune restoration from Max Langdon from Coast Care Bay of Plenty, a beach clean, and more!
The last weekend of Seaweek was celebrated with a Penguin Parade Charity Waddle to the top of Mt Drury. This charity walk was organised by EnviroHub, Sustainable Backyards, Western Bay Wildlife Trust, and Mauao Trust to raise funds for local kororā (little blue penguins)! It was a joyful morning of learning, fitness, and creative penguin-inspired outfits!
Waikato
Seaweek in the Waikato was celebrated mainly in the Coromandel Peninsula and Raglan this year with learning, action for the ocean and awesome community celebrations!
In Whitianga, the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council coordinated a Coastal Community Day at Buffalo Beach with local experts, hands on activities, and prizes from Sea Cave Adventures and Cathedral Cove Water Taxis!
They also put on an Exotic Caulerpa Community Workshop with MPI to update the community on identification and spread of the invasive seaweed, with guest speakers Irene Middleton and Sophia White from Biosecurity New Zealand and Wyn Osborne from Ngati Hei.
In collaboration with the Mercury Bay Museum, they offered Blue Backyard Museum School Sessions, with Southern Seabirds, Coastcare Waikato, and Enviroschools Aotearoa, which also had open sessions for the public to discover wonders beneath the waves!
At Waikato Regional Council and DOC's Tangaroa Talk Night at Cooks Beach Community Hall, there were guest presentations about efforts to protect local areas. Speakers included Dave Pickering (Waikato Regional Council), Rebecca Cox (Mercury Bay Museum), Marie Everth and Ella Knobloch (DOC), Jorja Gilmore (Manta Watch NZ) and MC Erin Greenwood (DOC). DOC also collaborated with Mercury Bay Library for a Moana Masterpiece Colouring Competition. There were activities at Thames Library, Tairua Library and Mercury Bay Library, including a Scavenger Hunt, Seaweek-themed toddler time, games, and more!
Also in the Coromandel Peninsula, was Hahei Explorer's Beach Clean Up at Hahei Beach / Cathedral Cove, Friends of Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve Trust’s community Cathedral Cove and Marine Reserve Swim, and Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga’s Underwater Clean Up at Gemstone Bay. It's wonderful to see locals taking great care of these stunning ocean areas!
Seaweek was on display and expressed through beautiful art and even interactions with live turtles at the Tairua Library!
Raglan celebrated with their long-running Māui Dolphin Day & Recycled Raft Race with the Whāingaroa Environment Centre, Raglan Community Radio, Raglan Volunteer Coastguard, Raglan Surf Life Saving Club, Raglan Kayaks and other local organisations to raise awareness for this small and rare dolphin. Teams built rafts using recycled materials and paddled across the harbour, with prizes awarded for the raddest raft,1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The day also included entertainment, activities, food and fun!
Gisborne
Seaweek in Gisborne was celebrated with a Community Snorkel Day at Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve with Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust with He Awa Ora, He Tai Ora, Healthy Rivers, Living Sea and the Department of Conservation Te Tairawhiti. DOC also ran a great series of posts on social media about the moana with Marine Ranger Zach Penman! We love these great videos about seabirds and sharks!
Taranaki
In Taranaki, Sustainable Taranaki and Taranaki Conservationists ran Nature Cleanup - Paritūtū Reserve & Back Beach, with involvement of the local NZ Air Force group, which collected 1,700 litres of rubbish!
“The quantity of the rubbish picked up in only 2h was incredible.” - Paritutu Nature Cleanup organiser.
The Lee Breakwater Community Nature Cleanup was another fantastic effort with a joint snorkel and land-based clean up along the Lee Breakwater with Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society and Sustainable Taranaki. Participants helped collect 255 litres of rubbish, 77% of which was diverted from landfill through recycling, composting, and upcycling! Seaweek Cinema North: An Afternoon of Ocean Films was a lovely opportunity for the community to come together for an ocean-themed film screening with Wild for Taranaki. The event featured short films on manta rays, seaweed and Project Reef Life, as well as a community kōrero with filmmaker and founder of Salty Slate Productions, Rebecca Pratt.
Manawatu-Whanganui
In Manawatu-Whanganui, Alissa Dyer's Embracing the Tides: Protecting Moana art exhibition at the Feilding Art Society highlighted the beauty and fragility of marine ecosystems and engaged local school groups in Seaweek activities!
Highlights for Alissa included, "students telling me what actions that they were now going to start to take to reduce their plastic rubbish etc. Members of the public approaching me and letting me know that the exhibition was incredibly well put together and has really made them think about how their personal actions affect the marine environment even from a landlocked community and they are determined to make changes in their lives and to share the message.".
Seaweek was also celebrated with the Multicultural Whanganui Beach Cleanup at Castlecliff Beach, with prizes for teams collecting the most rubbish!
Hawke's Bay
Hawke’s Bay was another busy region for Seaweek this year! The National Aquarium of New Zealand coordinated a guided Rocky Shore Explorer event with marine experts at Ahuriri, plus a South Pacific Teacher’s Workshop, and a Seaweek Talk with Alessandra Vallim, SeaKeepers South Pacific Program Manager, on how large marine animals drive key biogeochemical processes. The Teacher's Workshop was a professional development opportunity that featured fieldwork in coastal ecosystems, networking opportunities, and educational resources.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council ran a Twilight Walk and Talk through the estuary in Napier that discussed the long-term enhancement plans for the estuary and some of the incredible species that live there.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council also ran a Big Beach Clean Up at Waitangi Regional Park, as well as a daily Guess the Word challenge on Facebook and Instagram, where participants guessed words relating to coastal and water science based on their definitions.
“Everyone who took part values our beautiful te taiao. I especially want to acknowledge and thank the young people who came along — our future is in good hands.” - Hawke's Bay Regional Council Community Engagement Advisor, Sally Chandler
The Great Big Napier Beach Clean and Waipūreku Clive Beach Clean Up had over communities coming together across multiple sites! Overall, they cleared over 2 and a half tonnes of rubbish off the beach! During the Waipūerku Clive clean up, participants cleaned a large portion of the Hawke's Bay coastline between the Tuki Tuki and Te Awa o Mokotūāraro rivers, where banded dotterels nest each year. These clean ups were possible due to coordinators from Kiwi Conservation Club, Sustainable HB, Save the Dotterels HB and HBRC, and volunteers from Operation Pātiki and Rangatahi from William Pike & Duke of Ed.
“The positive spirit and camaraderie amongst the people who came along” was a highlight for event organisers, along with seeing the massive amount of rubbish removed "including tyres, processed timber and other rubbish like plastic, fishing tackle and more."
Ahuriri Estuary Protection Society celebrated Seaweek with an Estuary Cleanup with DOC at Ahuriri Estuary and a Farewell to the Godwits event at Southshore Spit Reserve. Finally, there was a Youth Photography Competition and Exhibition with Creative Arts Napier, which highlighted the work of young artists aged 6 to 17.
Wellington
Seaweek in Wellington focused on clean-ups, ocean connection and learning. Keep New Zealand Beautiful, KNZB, celebrated Seaweek with clean-ups in multiple areas. Island Bay Beach Cleanup and Seaview Seaweek Sealebration clean up brought together the Petone Beach Clean Up Crew, Hutt City Council, Keep Hutt Valley Beautiful, Ghost Diving, Keep Inner City Wellington Beautiful, the Seaview Marina Crew and Sant Nirankari Mission along with other locals to collect impressive hauls of rubbish!
Organisers loved ”seeing new faces come to help and seeing how happy everyone feels after the event seeing what they have achieved.”
Despite obstacles with weather and water quality, the Community Snorkel: Scorching Bay with Mountains to Sea Wellington was another great opportunity to get in the water and spend time with the local sea creatures! These images captured by Red Beanie Photography share a wonderful glimpse of the day they shared!
“The guides were awesome with all the participants in terms of helping them be comfortable and assuring those of us who were a little nervous.” – Community Snorkel Day participant.
Locals came together for Care for the Coast, a day of restoration that involved removing pest plant species and planting native plants with CVNZ to support the local community group Te ohu o Te Raekaihau. Seaweek closed out in Wellington with VUCEL Open Day for the community to see the lab and learn about marine research at Te Herenga Waka at the Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab (VUCEL)!
Thank you!
A huge thank you to all of the organisations and everyone who took the time to engage with Seaweek this year! We loved seeing so many celebrations and opportunities for communities to come together through creativity, learning, ocean activities, and action for our moana! We are also extremely grateful to Foundation North for continuing to support Seaweek. We can’t wait to see what’s coming up for 2027! Ngā mihi nui!
