World Ocean Day has, over the past 20 years or so, highlighted the multiple threats to the health of our oceans from mining, fishing, pollution and rubbish. This year, the team at Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s have commissioned a unique artwork to help get that message across. Auckland community artist Jane Ellis from Rainbow Rascals has created a mural using litter collected from the Waitematā Harbour by the conservation group Sea Cleaners.
Dan Henderson, general manager of Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s, says that the project was a collaboration between his team and Sea Cleaners. “Our team joined Sea Cleaners and went out with them for two days to collect rubbish around the local harbour,” he said. “Then we’ve worked with our partner, Rainbow Rascals, who have spent about 20 to 25 hours to create this piece of art.
” The result is a marine turtle collage constructed from rubbish collected in Ōkahu Bay, the inner Tāmaki Estuary and the Viaduct Harbour. Turtles have been spotted frequently over the years around the New Zealand coast, but generally are in poor health often due to environmental factors such as ingesting plastics. Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s operates the only turtle rescue and rehabilitation programmw treating Green Sea turtles, Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles over the years.
Two Lime Scooters, a car fender, assorted plastics and even a broken couch were some of the items retrieved from the foreshore areas in Tāmaki Makaurau. “All of th.
