I felt honoured to be offered the opportunity to go, with sponsorship from H2OO, to Valdes Peninsula in Patagonia, Argentina, and to represent Heirs To Our Ocean (H2OO) there.  This was my first time representing H2OO on an excursion and I was privileged doing so alongside Rakau and the other Heirs.

It was an amazing experience and I got to do things that I have never done before like spending the day with elephant seals and Penguins. Being still for long periods of time observing what was around me was really interesting.  I enjoyed learning how to imitate the elephant seals in order to be able to move closer to them.

I enjoyed living alongside the local scientists and visiting scientists like Dr. Ingrid Visser from New Zealand and learning what they do. 

What I noticed is that we need to keep the oceans and the beaches clean.  I saw a sea lion with a plastic strap around its neck and there was nothing we could do. It would die…this is sad! 

I would like to know more about Ngati Kuri’s (my tribes) connection to seals as they are our symbol animal. I also what to know more about my local iwi/ tribes thoughts and views on our environment so I can share this knowledge with others when I travel.

My personal goal is to grow in confidence in my ability to write and speak in front of others so that I can share my ideas and learn more from those around me. (as my first language is not English)  

I would like to say thank you to H2OO for giving me this experience and I look forward to continuing to grow in this space into the future.