seasocietynz

The 14th – 23rd of April is the Wild Dunedin Festival in Ōtepoti Dunedin! It is all about acknowledging, celebrating, and raising awareness of the wild and wonderful creatures we are privileged enough to share our backyard with. This magnetic, inclusive festival came together in 2016, when Neil Harraway – co-owner of Monarch Wildlife Cruises […]

Please drive along coastal roads slowly and be vigilant. Unfortunately, endangered species New Zealand sea lions/pakake never learned the road code. Unlike domesticated wildlife, who will move out of the way of vehicles, sea lions do not understand the threats that vehicles pose them and will take their time crossing the road to get to

Today, the 22nd of March, is the International Day of the Seal! This special day is about promoting the conservation of seals worldwide. Did you know Aotearoa has three indigenous seal species? – New Zealand sea lions/pakake (Phocarctos hookeri). Pakake are otariids or eared seals; males are brown/black, and females are cream/grey coloured. Males can

Thank you Forest & Bird! It is a privilege to be published in your Magazine Autumn Edition! A tremendous amount of volunteer hours, passion, persistence, petrol (to meet interested parties and monitor the New Zealand sea lions/pakake in The Catlins) and networking went in to building the ‘Protect Endangered New Zealand Sea Lion’ campaign. Mine

In celebration of Seaweek, and one of Aotearoa’s taonga species New Zealand sea lions/pakake, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust gave an excellent presentation about ‘Living with Pakake’ at Otago Museum. Before human colonisation, pakake resided throughout Aotearoa and after being almost wiped out by Sealing, they fled to the inhospitable Subantarctic Islands. Since 1993,

On a warm day, there is nowhere better than the sea/moana. The moana has long been a part of the Kiwi culture; bring the sun or a decent swell, and the beach will be rhythmic with energy. In Dunedin Ōtepoti, it is not uncommon to see surfers carving up the waves (potentially in competition with

If you were waiting for a sign, this is it. On the 3rd of March, people across Aotearoa will be congregating in designated areas to demand meaningful global warming action from Parliament. The time to enact positive change is now. The time to turn off the global emissions tap is now. We cannot wait for

Whether you are a climate change/global warming believer or denier; we share Papatūānuku with many other beings, all of whom rely on it. The impacts of a warming and changing planet is all around us and natural disasters are becoming more frequent. The most recent examples are the tragic flooding in the North Island and

Rā Whānau / Happy Birthday to this guy! Luke Suen is SEA SOCIETY’s first supporter and now the Vice-President. He hails from Vancouver, and at the age of 26 set off to explore the world. He and I met in Paihia in the Bay of Islands in 2018 and became fast friends. Luke is a

My heart has been heavy. I am lighting my Poet Botanicals candle and sending so much aroha to everyone across Aotearoa affected by the flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle. Keep helping one another and Kia Kaha! If you are able to, please donate to the New Zealand Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org.nz/…/new-zealand-disaster-fund/