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Project Jonah New Zealand

@projectjonahnz

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Empowering local communities and saving whales since 1974.

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Are you ready? Learn how to help this summer!

Places are selling fast on our Marine Mammal Medic courses. With sessions running across the country, it’s easy to find one near you!

Equip yourself with the knowledge to help protect our marine mammals.

Get involved! Link in our bio to find out more and book your place now. by @projectjonahnz

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6 days ago

Every dollar makes a real difference when it comes to responding to strandings and standing up for marine wildlife across Aotearoa. Whatever your age or talent, there’s a way to get involved. The most important thing is to have fun and know that your efforts will make a huge difference!

Got an idea in mind? Let us know what you’re planning. Check out our website for handy fundraising tips, or reach out to us directly - we’re always keen to help make sure your event is a hit! by @projectjonahnz

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13 days ago

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15 days ago

Humpback whale calls can travel across entire ocean basins, connecting whales across vast distances.

Your legacy can be just as far-reaching.

When thinking about your Will, your own pod always comes first. But once they’re taken care of, leaving a gift to Project Jonah in your Will can help ensure our marine mammal rescue work continues for decades to come.

To make the process easier, we’ve teamed up with Everywill, so that you can write and update your Will completely free online.

A simple step today can help keep our oceans and pods protected for generations to come.

Protect your pod. Protect theirs. Find out more via the link in our bio. by @projectjonahnz

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17 days ago

🐋 Walking through the whale, holiday style! 😎

While visiting New Zealand, Devon Coordinator Chris Berry took the opportunity to spend two days with our friends over at Project Jonah

Their teams have decades of experience responding to whale strandings on an extraordinary scale, often seen in the hundreds

In Christchurch, Chris joined Jennifer McKinlay for school sessions with ‘Jonah’ the Project Jonah’s gorgeous life-sized inflatable humpback, before visiting Daren Grover and Louisa Hawkes in Nelson to exchange ideas on whale stranding response and refloatation

BDMLR already has a longstanding relationship with Project Jonah and uses the inflatable whale pontoons they pioneered. Spending time with their team offered another valuable opportunity to share knowledge between two organisations facing many of the same challenges, often on very different scales

A huge thank you to Daren, Louisa, Jennifer and everyone at Project Jonah for making Chris so welcome and generously sharing their time and experience 🐋🧡

#cetacean
#projectjonah
#massstranding
#oceanrescue
#whalerescue by @projectjonahnz

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20 days ago

Te reo Māori is part of Aotearoa’s story and it has a special place in how we talk about the taonga of our moana.

So for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, we’re sharing the Māori names of some of the whales and dolphins we’re lucky enough to have in our waters.

Here are 5 to start with… from the mighty Parāoa (Sperm whale) to the playful Aihe (Common dolphin), these names connect us to the animals and the moana we all share.

Turn the sound up to practise the pronunciation and save or share this Reel so you can come back to it!

Pronunciations thanks to Te Aka Māori Dictionary. by @projectjonahnz

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20 days ago

This incredible image, captured by Daniel Manchester has been shortlisted for the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year!

Taken as part of research by Cetacean Ecology Research Group - CERG into Leader-Follower paradigms at whale stranding, the photograph shows 14 whales swimming directly towards a chain of people in the water, working together to prevent them from moving further into danger.

Among that chain are Project Jonah Marine Mammal Medics alongside DOC staff and volunteers who stepped into the water to help give these whales the best chance of survival.

For us, this image captures something really special about what happens during a stranding: DOC staff, trained volunteers, iwi, researchers, and local communities coming together, often in incredibly challenging conditions, to help.

Now Daniel's photograph is in the running for the People’s Choice Award and you can help it get there! Voting link in our stories! by @projectjonahnz

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22 days ago

Win with our Project Jonah collab!
If you’ve ever wanted the skills to be able to help stranded marine mammals, enter our Project Jonah + Sustained Fun giveaway!

1st prize: 1 place on the Marine Mammal Medic Course, + Sustained Fun prize pack
2nd prize: 50% off 1 place on the Marine Mammal Medic Course + Sustained Fun prize pack
3rd prize: Sustained Fun prize pack

To enter:
1) Follow @sustainedfun and @projectjonahnz
2) Comment and tag a friend
3) Share for an extra entry

Small print
- Entries close midnight 26th September
- The winning places can be at courses in the 2026/27 season, at any location, after 1st October, subject to there being space on the course.
- Winning places can be either for an adult or student.

#win #giveway #marinemammalmedic #marinemammal #projectjonah by @projectjonahnz

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24 days ago

Happy World Dolphin Day!

Images captured by @barekiwi in @kaikouranz

There’s something magical about being eye to eye with a wild dolphin in its natural environment.

Getting in the water with Kaikōura’s dusky dolphins has to be one of the most beautiful wild experiences I’ve ever done. I’ve joined the @dolphinencounterkaikoura crew countless times over the years and it always leaves me with the biggest grin. I truly rate it as one of my top must-do experiences in the world!

Whilst in Kaikōura every day is a day of gratitude for this unique relationship #worlddolphinday is a good day to shout about that; celebrating and appreciating all that is special about these intelligent animals.

Never knowing when or how they will choose to interact and knowing that it is their choice to do so when they do, is what makes those moments of connection so special.

@kaikouranz #WorldDolphinDay #Dolphin #Kaikoura #NewZealand taken in Kaikoura, New Zealand by @projectjonahnz

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25 days ago

At Project Jonah, we focus on one thing – helping marine mammals.

We protect marine mammals through our rescue, action and education programmes. And none of this is possible without our volunteers, everyday Kiwis who choose to spend their time helping our oceans.

As Dr. Jane Goodall has shown us, hope isn’t wishful thinking, it’s a decision you act on, and it starts by choosing to show up.

To everyone who volunteers with us, thank you for putting hope into action. by @projectjonahnz

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a month ago

Ever wondered what actually happens on a Marine Mammal Medic course?

It’s more than a day spent learning about whales and dolphins.

Our Marine Mammal Medic courses combine knowledge with hands-on practical training, giving participants the skills and confidence to respond when a whale or a dolphin strands.

On the course you’ll learn how to assess a stranded animal, use rescue equipment, support animals safely and work as part of a coordinated response team.
And just as importantly, you’ll learn what not to do. Knowing when to step back and how to keep people (and whales) safe is an important part of helping an animal safely.

You don’t need any previous experience or specialist knowledge to become a Marine Mammal Medic. We’ll teach you all you need to know.

Summer 2026/27 Marine Mammal Medic courses are now open for bookings, will we see you there? by @projectjonahnz

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a month ago

Over the weekend, a very special visitor made their way onto Petone Beach in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington.

Leopard seals are powerful apex predators of the Antarctic, where they spend much of their time hunting around the pack ice. They do occasionally travel north and can be seen on our shores.

If you’re lucky enough to spot one, the best thing you can do is give them plenty of space and let them rest undisturbed.

- Keep at least 20 metres away.
- Keep dogs and small children well away and under control.
- Don’t approach, touch, feed or attempt to move the seal.
- Don’t get between the animal and the ocean.
- Avoid loud noises or throwing objects near them.

Keeping your distance helps protect both you and the seal, and helps reduce the risk of diseases being passed between marine mammals and people.

If you see a leopard seal, contact your local DOC office or call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) – particularly if you see someone harassing one.

Aotearoa is lucky to occasionally welcome these incredible Antarctic visitors. Let’s give them the respect and space they deserve.

Photos by Michael Szabo / Wild Wellington by @projectjonahnz

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