A Lifeboat Adventure to Protect Aotearoa New Zealand’s Ocean

Kia ora, I’m Tane Tarlton, a 24-year-old Kiwi turning an 8.5m ex-lifeboat into a storytelling vessel to circumnavigate New Zealand and shine a light on 52 ocean conservation projects around our coastline.

Over the period of a year, we’ll meet and film with scientists, iwi, grassroots groups, fishers and local communities – creating daily short videos, a 52-episode YouTube series and a free feature-length documentary. Social media is our engine: I’ve already built an audience of 110,000+ followers and over 26M recent views by blending adventure with ocean storytelling, and this journey builds on that momentum but now with a team.

A big inspiration is my grandfather, diver and aquarium founder Kelly Tarlton, who dedicated his life to sharing the underwater world with the public.

To get to the start line in early February 2026 we need to raise $0,000. This will finish the lifeboat refit, fund essential safety and comms gear, and cover basic wages for key crew (I won’t take one at the start).

Tarlton’s Current Cause Charitable Trust is incorporated and awaiting final charitable registration; all funds go directly to mission delivery. For larger, potentially tax-deductible donations, email me at tane@currentcause.org .

You can find more details, including our outline document and pitch video, at https://www.currentcause.org/

Your support fuels a project that helps restore New Zealand's ocean for future generations. Thank you for being part of this journey 🌏💙