Tane Tarlton

I’m Tane Tarlton, a 23-year-old content creator from New Zealand with a deep love for adventure and the ocean. I recently acquired a 6-metre lifeboat, and I plan to circumnavigate the entire coastline of New Zealand, using this journey not only to locate the truth around what's happening to our marine environment but also to showcase the work already being done to restore it and to create a movement that inspires real action.

The Mission?

I will speak with scientists, conservationists, commercial and recreational fishers, spearfishers, and local communities to gain a full picture of what is happening beneath the surface. But this journey is about more than just raising awareness, it’s also about amplifying the solutions already in place and making sure these critical issues are seen by people far beyond traditional environmental spaces. By expanding the discussion to a broader audience, I hope to inspire engagement from those who may not typically be part of conservation conversations.

What sets this journey apart is the way I combine authentic adventure storytelling with marine conservation. Conservation alone often struggles to capture attention, but by weaving it into engaging, relatable experiences, I can bring these issues to a far broader audience.

Ocean temperature and sediment are two key stressors for marine life and ecosystems, yet data on these variables remain sparse in many coastal regions of New Zealand. As part of this voyage, we will collect daily ocean temperature profiles (surface to 200m depth) and turbidity measurements in collaboration with Dr. Robert Smith (Department of Marine Science, University of Otago).

This adventure will be documented through a 15-part YouTube series and a full-length documentary. Chris Davison and I will be co-producing both the YouTube series and the documentary, ensuring we capture the journey with high-quality, cinematic visuals that tell the full story in an engaging and impactful way. Chris is a highly skilled filmmaker and underwater cinematographer, bringing a level of production quality that makes this a massive step up from my previous trips.