“This fine-scale information is starting to reveal hidden secrets of our underwater friends.”
The study is a “Team Turtle” project, a collaboration between the Department of Conservation (DoC), Auckland Zoo, Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium and iwi.
Since 2025, 11 rehabilitated honu/turtles, fitted with the latest satellite tag technology, have been tracked daily for six to 12 months.
The tags provide highly accurate location data.
The research identified several turtle habitat hotspots for future work, including Rangaunu Bay and Harbour, Pārengarenga Harbour, Murimotu, Whangārei Harbour and the Bay of Islands in Northland, and Manukau Harbour in Auckland.
One turtle, nicknamed 3K, clocked up nearly 3000km over four months, journeying along the west coast between Rangaunu Harbour and Wellington and back again – with a month-long pitstop in Manukau Harbour on the way home.
Another turtle released at Northland’s Taupō Bay travelled along the east coast to the Coromandel before returning north to settle in Rangaunu Harbour.
Turtles that spent most of their time in this harbour were most often located over seagrass and harbour channel areas.
Nina Raharuhi, hapū cultural monitor for Ngāti Kahu with Ngāti Whātua affiliation, urges locals to support turtle conservation.
She said releasing 11 honu into Rangaunu Harbour over the past two years represented hope, healing and a shared responsibility as kaitiaki.
“These taonga of the moana remind us of our deep connection to the natural world and the importance of protecting our marine environment for future generations.
“As tangata whenua, we support every effort that honours the mauri of our moana and ensures our honu can thrive within their natural habitat.
“To our boaties and fishermen enjoying the harbour of Rangaunu: ‘Ata haere, kia tūpato’, take it easy and be careful.”
Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s general manager Dan Henderson said the findings highlighted how connected New Zealand’s marine environments were and reinforced the need to protect critical habitats.
Auckland Zoo veterinary services manager Dr James Chatterton said August to December was the peak season for turtle admissions, with eight individuals already admitted since June.
He said common issues included fish hook injuries, entanglement, boat strikes, pneumonia and intestinal infections.
“The good news is more than two-thirds of the green sea turtles we admit go on to make a full recovery,” Chatterton said.
“However, the long-term goal is to improve their marine environment to allow more of them to thrive in the wild.”
Team Turtle is continuing its partnership with iwi and hapū, aiming to tag additional turtles and bring the total number of individuals monitored through the project to 20.
The findings will support national and international conservation initiatives for migratory sea turtles to protect the species and important habitats.
“The study will help build a more detailed understanding of which habitats are most important to the wider population,” Middlemiss said.
“The next step is to turn this information into conservation action, and we’re keen to engage with regional councils about how we can get turtles recognised in relevant coastal management plans.”