11 June, 2026

Cool fun for a cause

Hundreds take the plunge at Takapuna in midwinter dip for ocean conservation charity

True colours… Karen Miller in her Finding Nemo costume was on hand as several hundred people took part in the Live Ocean midwinter dip in support of ocean conservation at Takapuna Beach last Sunday.

Ready to plunge… Swimmers prepare for their dip at Takapuna Beach. Inset: Blair Tuke (left) and Jono Ridler.

More than 400 swimmers took part in a midwinter plunge for conservation charity Live Ocean from Takapuna Beach last Sunday.
Live Ocean co-founder Blair Tuke was delighted so many people had turned out for the event, supporting a push to improve the quality of the sea off the New Zealand coastline.
A key Live Ocean campaign, opposing bottom trawling, was recently supported by Jono Ridler, who swam from North Cape to Wellington to promote the cause.
Ridler told the crowd that with community backing, some of the “abundance and beauty” of the ocean can be restored.
North Shore National MP and cabinet minister Simon Watts, who joined the swim, said the recently enacted Hauraki Gulf protection legislation was the start in increasing ocean safeguards.
A Swim4TheOcean petition calling for an end to bottom trawling was signed by 73,647 people before being presented to parliamentarians on 29 April.

• Live Ocean is a New Zealand-registered ocean conservation charity founded by Olympic gold and silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.

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