GROW Aitutaki youth Dive into Conservation
This article is written by a GROW Aitutaki representative on the group's recent turtle monitoring experience with Te Ipukarea Society and Ocean Toa. GROW Aitutaki is an active youth group based in Aitutaki and stands for - Generating Relevant Opportunities With Aitutaki.
Last week, a group of enthusiastic young ocean explorers from Aitutaki took part in the continuation of a turtle monitoring project, this time in the lagoon waters of Avaavaroa Passage, Rarotonga.
The tamariki from GROW Aitutaki joined Te Ipukarea Society for this special marine activity supported by Ocean Toa and UNESCO. The aim was to identify and track turtles as part of a long term citizen science project. Each turtle has a unique pattern on the left side of its face, like a fingerprint. By taking photos, the turtles can be added to a database, where they are tracked over time to see which ones return and where they are spotted.
The results were exciting. The children successfully recorded 12 turtles during their snorkel survey! Of these, six were new entries into the database, and six were returning turtles, previously recorded in the same area.
“Two of the recurring turtles have been photographed in the passages since 2021,” said a representative from Te Ipukarea Society, highlighting the success of consistent monitoring efforts over the years.
The visiting group, aged between 9 and 13, showed exceptional diving skills, curiosity, and care for the environment. “We were really impressed with the tamariki – their behaviour, confidence in the water, and enthusiasm for learning was something special,” the TIS and Ocean Toa team shared following the activity.
This turtle tracking experience is a continuation of work started by TIS in Aitutaki in June, where local tamariki began observing turtle behaviour and learning about marine conservation. The Rarotonga leg of the project gave the young explorers a chance to expand their knowledge alongside local marine experts.
Interestingly, the group noticed a difference in turtle behaviour between the islands. “Turtles in Rarotonga are much friendlier than in Aitutaki,” said one of the students. “Back home, they get scared and swim away quickly — but here, they just cruise right beside you!”
The GROW Aitutaki group of 14 children spent a week in Rarotonga as part of their Aitutaki Explorers Rarotonga Adventure, supported by the Australian High Commission, with Air Rarotonga generously sponsoring the airfares. Other Rarotonga based organisations like CEIT (Code Avengers), Korero o te Ōrau, and Te Aka o te Akau also contributed to the programme, helping provide a rich and meaningful learning experience for the Aitutaki group.
This partnership shows the power of collaboration and the importance of creating real world opportunities for tamariki to connect with their environment, learn hands on skills, and build confidence in their future roles as ocean guardians.
Meitaki atupaka to everyone who helped make this experience possible. The future of our moana is in good hands.