Swimming Te Ara a Kiwa for Sharks

I'm Bre, and I'm swimming across Te Ara a Kiwa (Foveaux Strait) for sharks.

Te Ara a Kiwa is a Great White breeding ground. Every summer around 80 Great Whites hang out in these waters.

I'm doing this because every year humans kill over 100 MILLION sharks. There's 71 percent less sharks in the sea today than there was 50 years ago.

Sharks are weird, wonderful and misunderstood. They're older than trees and dinosaurs. There's 500 different species, each one as different and interesting as the next.

The loss of sharks threatens ocean wellbeing - and therefore human wellbeing.

- Sharks maintain the species below them in the food chain, serving as an indicator for ocean health

- Their presence stops sea turtles over-consuming kelp, keeping kelp habitats healthy (helping mitigate climate change!)

- By moving between deep and shallow waters, sharks enrich deep water with essential nutrients.

This page is raising funds for Mountains to Sea Wellington. MTSW is a marine organization that connects people to nature, builds understanding through science and exploration, and inspires communities to care for the environment. As Jacques Cousteau once said "people protect what they love". MTSW engages with local communities and schools to deliver freshwater + marine education programs and restoration projects, helping people connect to our beautiful moana. We need more people in the world who care about our oceans and what's in them - including sharks <3