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Waitt Foundation

@waittfoundation

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Working towards thriving, resilient, and sustainable oceans. #blueprosperity
Follow @waittinstitute for more! 🌊

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This is Tongan led whale research 🇹🇴

Repost via @abcpacific Whales have long been part of Tonga’s story and identity, and in the waters of Vava’u, science and traditional knowledge are coming together to improve understanding of these incredible animals.

The Tongan Whale Tourism Project is bringing generations-old knowledge together with scientific research to learn more about a whale’s journey and the waters to which they return each year.

Macquarie University wildlife scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta said this approach is a vast improvement from the more common practice of scientists coming in and out of research fields without collaborating with the local communities.

#vavau #tonga #whale #oceania #tourism

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📅 Check out today’s schedule for ICRS 2026 - 19 July!

When you arrive at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), please visit the registration desk at the Level 3 Atrium to collect your name badge.

Your badge is your official Symposium pass, so remember to wear it throughout the event to access sessions, catering, and social functions included in your registration. You only need to check in once, after that, you can head straight to the Symposium each day.

Don’t miss today’s Welcome Function, sponsored by the @waittfoundation , an opportunity to connect with fellow attendees and celebrate the start of ICRS 2026!

We look forward to seeing you there! 🌊🪸

#ICRS2026 #CoralReefs #CoralScience #ReefConservation #MarineBiology

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REPOST via @tonganwhaletourismproject :

Whales are protected in Tongan waters. Each year humpback whales migrate to the beautiful waters of Tonga to breed, calve, nurse their young, rest and socialise.

Respect the whales by adhering to the rules in place to keep both whales and people safe.

A collaborative message from:
The Tongan Whale Tourism Project
The Vava’u Environmental Protection Association
The Government of Tonga
The Waitt Institute

Malo ‘aupito/Thank you

Underwater footage by Nessim Stevenson / Kogia
Drone footage by Waitt Institute

#Tonga #whale #vavau #whaleswimming #BlueProsperity

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Welcome to the Tongan Whale Tourism Project. Based in Vava’u, this is a collaborative research project designed to ensure the longevity and sustainability of whale swim tourism.

Community focused, this is a grassroots level project capacity building locally, building ocean stewardship for a holistic approach to Tonga’s blue backyard.

Led by the Vava’u Environmental Protection Association @vavauenviro and the Government of Tonga, with support from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

#Tongawhales #tonga #toursim #partnerships #communitydriven

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One of the best parts about supporting local ocean leaders? Everything they do connects! 🔗

🦪🌿 Eco-tourism funds oyster farms. Mangroves clean the water for reefs. Healthy reefs attract more tourism. Every action has a ripple effect.

And the result? It’s always bigger than the sum of its parts ✨

🇹🇴 🇫🇲 That was the spirit of our Blue Prosperity Entrepreneur Fellowship in the Pacific this year.

Big thanks to @waittfoundation, @vavauenviro, Blue Prosperity Micronesia, and everyone who believed in these amazing leaders 🙏

Swipe to hear directly from them 👉

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Teaching the smallest future conservationists, naturalists, explorers, scientists and more about sharks 💕🦈👩‍🔬
🎥 features:
@Kaitlyn.ehlers conservation biologist from @oneoceandiving presenting at @setauketpresbyterianpreschool to help their students learn about sharks 🦈
She talked about ⭐️shark biology, their importance in the ocean, and ways to protect them. When kids learn early, inspiration and conservation actions can extended over a whole lifetime. 🌊📚

Educating the younger generations is so important because the information they learn shapes how they care for the world later 🌏. When kids understand why sharks matter, fear turns into a deeper comprehension and that can lead to a better future. We hope these lessons don’t stop in the classroom—but instead grow into lifelong respect for the ocean and future leaders who will make the choices that will protect it for generations to come.✨

Our shark biologists at @oneoceandiving are excited to share knowledge across the ocean online. Want the One Ocean Diving team to visit your school? Let’s inspire the next generation of ocean stewards together🦈💙🧑‍🏫 contact our office and check us out on @oneoceaneducation too and check out our newer “Kids Corner” page on our website for inspirational ways that you can get involved in conservation from our youth ambassadors ambassadors 🌟

📍Local to O’ahu, reach out to schedule a free classroom presentation or a free field trip out to learn about sharks and marine life for your classes most interested students🔎🦈.
❤️ thank you to the many participants who join us @oneoceandiving and who support the nonprofit efforts for giveaways for programs like these and our reef and beach clean up events (next one is Feb 14th at Kahé point so please save the date 😊💕)

Mahalo nui loa thank you so much @kaitlyn.ehlers for leading this educational effort ❤️
#marinescience #sharks #discoversharks #oneocean #oneoceandiving

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Happy end of year, holiday season, and THANK YOU, mahalo nui loa for helping us through the many divisions of #OneOcean to make a positive impact for sharks and marine conservation, wildlife, and nature 🩵
To everyone who has joined us on the water @oneoceandiving or adopted a shark to support @oneoceansharks & @oneoceanresearch noninvasive projects, or volunteered @oneoceanconservation 🪸 reef and beach clean up events or downloaded and shared @oneoceaneducation or @oneoceanglobal educational outreach resources or simply liked, shared, or commented in support online to help further the message for sharks and marine conservation 🩵❤️ We APPRECIATE YOU ❤️🩵 & I know future generations will too 🩵❤️
We were also so happy @netflix finally released the documentary “Shark Whisperer” highlighting the struggles of some of our favorite sharks like #SharkIDRoxy and reaching people around the world with a message to shift their perception of sharks and inspire more people to help with their much needed conservation.
2025 has also been an exceptional year wrapping up with a win for sharks and rays at CITIES convention with oceanic whitetip, whale shark, manta rays, and devil rays being voted to the highest level of protection on appendix I just this month🦈🥳.
Thank you for also supporting @savetheseaturtlesinternational directly and indirectly through proceeds from @oneoceandesigns , @Oceanramsey book sales, online course, @juansharks prints, etc. We look forward to continuing our efforts with this Jawsome community in 2026 ❤️🦈❤️
💝Thank you and we wish you and yours all the best and hope to see you”Sea” you soon in person or online in comments and posts about the importance of respecting and protecting sharks 🩵🦈🩵
📧If you missed our annual email newsletter and would like to sign up please sign up directly on the bottom of the homepage of @oceanramsey website (link in bio)
HAPPY NEW YEAR ❤️🦈❤️💫
#HappyNewYear #newyearplans #2026

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Thank you so much to the many wonderful supporters and volunteers who helped us make yesterday’s reef and beach clean up and the previous decade of events a reality ❤️ Yesterday’s event hosted by @OneOceanConservation @Savetheseaturtles and the wonderful
@yasmimstrachan and @g.r.a.t.e.l and
@aviramoss
❤️For the reef 🪸 clean up portion we took scooters out to the channel that rarely gets attention from divers but is a popular fishing site and sea turtle aggregation site. We rescued a sea turtle who had a hook out of her mouth with line wrapping around both pectoral flippers across the back of her neck, and had another hook and wrapping line in one of her pectorals.
❤️🌊🏝️Back on the beach in Kahana bay the team of wonderful volunteers collected countless microplastics from the beach at the waterline 🌊 Plastic that could easily be scooped up by a bird or ingested by fish. As the heavy rains and larger surf start, any remaining plastic will again be washed out and mixed back up into the water, and this area needs more help to continuously collect and reduce the plastic that constantly blows on shore here on the windward side of the island.
❤️❤️Special thanks again to the many people in this community who support our collective efforts to help protect marine life and natural areas.
❤️❤️Special thanks to some of the Jawsome volunteers also featured in this video from yesterdays cleanup:
@tiffb_loves_thesea
@paulaasview
@bradley_vojkuflea
@em_larocque14
@jacob.d.hewitt
@gabigaiill
@ricasvenja
@meganinigilliland
@lilyammari
@sue.gubbins
@buttergonewild
@mp_theory
@sunsetsbydarina
@sky.petrilla
and of course @juansharks
❤️❤️Also special thank you to the companies and individuals who donated to the nonprofit or sponsored prize giveaways:
@theoriginalclimbonproducts
@oneoceandesigns
@the.shark.collective
@cressi1946
@brightbuoydiving
@xcelwetsuits
& free spots to go out with @OneOceandiving 🩵🦈 whose operations continue to help fund events like these 🩵
❤️🩵❤️ Thank you for your support and everything you do everyday big or small to help protect wildlife and natural areas from marine debris. Thank you ❤️💕❤️
Please join us for the next event December 6th ❤️

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🌿 15 años de contribución a las Áreas Protegidas 🌎

El II Canje de Deuda por Naturaleza es mucho más que un mecanismo financiero: es cooperación internacional, gobernanza participativa y planificación estratégica trabajando juntas por un futuro permanente.

Hoy celebramos:

✅ 55 áreas protegidas apoyadas.
✅ 189 proyectos ejecutados que transforman realidades.

La restauración de ecosistemas, adaptación al cambio climático y soluciones basadas en la naturaleza son parte de esta historia.

📖 Descubre los logros y aprendizajes en la memoria completa.
👉 [Enlace en bio]
#Conservación #CostaRicaPorSiempre #SolucionesBasadasEnLaNaturaleza #CambioClimático #ÁreasProtegidas

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𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐕𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 | 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

History was made in our Pacific
Temotu (Solomon Islands) and Torba (Vanuatu) have united to create a massive Indigenous-led transboundary Marine Protected Area — proof that our ocean borders are not fences, but bridges.

As Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele said when welcoming voyaging canoes Tepuke and Uto Ni Yalo:

“Their sails carry the stories of our ocean, their hulls hold the hopes of our children.”

The challenge now: turning declarations into action.
Together, let’s build an Ocean of Peace — free from militarization, led by Indigenous guardianship, and protected for generations to come.

Read our full post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CbRbhiZ7a/

#WansolwaraVoyage #OceanOfPeace #OneOcean #UtoNiYalo #PasifikiVoices #IndigenousGuardianship

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Wansolwara Voyage 2025 – Crew Update (10 Sept 2025)

The past few days in Honiara have been unforgettable. As PIFLM 2025 came to a close, the people of Temotu and Guadalcanal gave us a farewell filled with love, chants, dances, woven gifts, and blessings that we will carry with us forever.

In a deeply moving moment, Master Navigator Ambrose Miki and Paramount Chief Noel Hatu of Taumako initiated our voyagers Angelo Smith and Kaiafa Ledua as Te Aliki o Manu and Tevake Toto — guardians of land and sea. Their honor reflects the spirit of voyaging: courage, resilience, and service to our people.

Captain Miki also gifted a replica of Papa Tepuke to Mama Uto, a symbol of unity between vaka and people. In return, our crew offered the Bole — accepting the sacred duty to serve our ocean and our one Pacific family.

This voyage is more than a sail. It is a living testament to Pacific unity, to our ancestors, and to generations yet to come.

Vinaka vakalevu to Oceans 5, Waitt Foundation, National Geographic Pristine Seas, Blue Nature Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, Kami Pasifiki, and Conservation International for keeping our vaka moving.

As Mama Uto sails on to Vanuatu, we carry the voices and love of Temotu and Guadalcanal in our hearts.

#wansolwaravoyage #piflm54 #utoniyalotrust #utoniyalo #traditionalsailing #OceanStewardship

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The Dogo, or Black Mangrove, forest in Nasese, Suva... well the half we were able to save in 2023.
Reflecting on whether along with 30x30MPA we could also find the political will to protect these vital, thriving, yet threatened ecosystems...
It would be wonderful if our Vanua of Rewa, for which Tiri and Dogo are sacred totems, could lead the way.

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