Five species of marine turtle visit New Zealand waters.
Greens, hawksbills, leatherbacks, olive ridleys and loggerheads - all of those turtle species found in the Pacific are also found in our waters, with juvenile green turtles living in the far north year-round.
These ancient animals have survived for millions of years, but their future is now under threat from pollution, habitat loss, unsustainable fishing practices, and climate change.
They desperately need your help.
This summer's unusually strong El Niño and record-breaking ocean temperatures are putting even more strain on our turtles.
Warmer seas can mean less food, longer journeys, and greater risks of overlapping with human activities.
Healthy turtle populations are more resilient to extreme events.
But most populations are already struggling.
You can help New Zealand’s turtles this summer by helping address the long-term challenges they face. Your donation will support our campaigns to protect and restore the ocean home of our turtles through:
You can also help protect our sea turtles by keeping an eye out for them on the water, especially if boating or fishing.
And by reporting injured or stranded turtles, and all turtle sightings to [email protected] or the Department of Conservation emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).