Great Southern BioBlitz Day 1 Snorkel

Green Heroes is proud to be the official area coordinator for the Great Southern BioBlitz in our region, bringing this global biodiversity event to the shores and waters of Cook Island and the Fingal Head Peninsula.

The Great Southern BioBlitz is a spring snapshot of life across the entire Southern Hemisphere.

Over four days, people across Australia, New Zealand, South America and southern Africa record as much biodiversity as they can find and upload it to iNaturalist — building a single, shared picture of life across the southern hemisphere.

GSB 2026 runs Friday 27 to Monday 30 November, with a further 14 days afterwards to upload and identify everything recorded during the BioBlitz.

As the official area coordinator, Green Heroes is bringing this global biodiversity event to our local backyard — above and below the water at Cook Island and across the Fingal Head Peninsula.

Fish, invertebrates, corals, algae, sponges, turtles and everything in between — if it lives here, we want it on the record.

You don't need a scuba tank to become a citizen scientist.

On Day 1, we're heading into the shallows for a snorkelling biodiversity hunt at Cook Island Aquatic Reserve.

The shallow reef is alive with activity, and there's an incredible amount to discover when you slow down, look closely and give the smaller things a chance to reveal themselves.

Our mission is simple:

See it. Photograph it. Record it.

We'll explore the shallow reef and rocky habitats, searching for as many different species as we can find — from colourful reef fish and curious crabs to sea stars, nudibranchs, algae and the tiny creatures hiding in plain sight.

A BioBlitz isn't just about finding the obvious.

Some of the most valuable observations can be the creatures that are tiny, cryptic or easily overlooked.

Look beneath rocks.
Peer into cracks.
Check the algae.
Watch the sand.
And don't forget to look up!

You never know what might be hiding in the shallows.

You don't need to be an expert.

If you can take a photograph, you can contribute to the BioBlitz.

We'll help with identification and your observations can be uploaded to iNaturalist, contributing to the Cook Island Ecology Project and Digital Atlas.

Every new species record helps us build a more comprehensive picture of the biodiversity protected within Cook Island Aquatic Reserve.

Keep your eyes peeled for the species you might not expect to find here.

A tropical visitor?
A tiny nudibranch?
A perfectly camouflaged fish?
Something you've never seen before?

The shallows are full of surprises.

Scuba divers can explore deeper reef habitats, while snorkellers can spend time searching the shallow zones — meaning different eyes and different habitats create a more complete biodiversity picture.

By joining this expedition, you're helping us fill gaps in the Cook Island species list and contributing observations that can become part of the long-term biodiversity record for the reserve.

Come snorkel, explore the shallows and help us discover what lives just beneath the surface.

ONE BIOBLITZ. MANY EYES. COUNTLESS DISCOVERIES.

Day 2 is one of five Green Heroes adventures taking place across the Great Southern BioBlitz.

Different habitats. Different species. Different ways to explore. One big goal — discover as much as we can.