Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre

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Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre

Come explore the wonders of Aotearoa NZ's big blue backyard at the Discovery Centre!
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The Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre provides information on the research activities carried out at the Leigh Marine Laboratory (Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland). The Centre showcases the surrounding marine environment in the form of information panels, interactive activities, video footage, a tidal touch tank, a sound tunnel, and our BIGeye microscope. If you are interested

in learning about New Zealand’s marine life this is the perfect experience for you! Admission Prices:

Infants (under 4 years) Free
Child (4 to 15 years) $5
Senior citizens/ Students (ID required) $7
Adults (16 years+) $9
Family pass (up to 2 adults, 2 children) $20

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29/06/2024

Kia ora team! With school holidays wrassing closer, we thought we’d share some exciting events happening at the DC 🐠🐙🐟

These July holidays, in addition to being open DAILY (10am - 4pm) we are also hosting three opportunities for the 8-12 year old fry and juveniles in your life to become marine scientists for a day 🧜‍♂️

We’re super stoki red moki to be working with our friends from over TWO YOE x DC holiday programmes on Friday 12th + 19th July 🐚

And we’re extra excited to be bringing a new 🤩 DC day-long workshop highlighting our rimurimu/seaweeds on Thursday 18th July 🌱

Spaces limited so register via the links below:⬇️

🐠 YOE x DC Holiday Programme: https://youngoceanexplorers.hubspotpagebuilder.com/edit-me-0-0-0-0

🦀DC workshop: https://forms.gle/rVWJr8e9fn7kjCjH6

Be shore to sing out if you’ve got any questions and as always, we look forward to sea-ing you at the Centre!

- Team DC 🪸

(📸 credit to the talented Daryl Powell from YOE)

21/06/2024

Looking for something fun to do these July school holidays? We’ve got you sorted 😁

27/04/2024

The discovery centre will be CLOSED tomorrow (Sunday 28th April) for a private function.

Apologies for the inconvenience and we will SEA you next time 🐳🐟🐙🐬🦀🦞🐡🐠

11/02/2024

Hey all! It's time for a Monday Meetup and Shrimpo is here to introduce you to our amazing Mantis Shrimps (Heterosquilla tricarinata)! 🦐 These cool critters are awesome - their two outside arms form "spears" that they use to catch prey in less than 8 MILLISECONDS! 😱 They live in burrows in soft-sediment and estuaries (⭐️our theme of the season⭐️) where their movements is critical for keeping sediment full of oxygen and nutrients.

🦐 Snap your claws for the shrimps and come into the DC to take a closer look! 🦐

08/02/2024

Congratulations to Paul Caiger for his FIN-TASTIC book making its way onto shelves! As the Leigh Marine Labs Dive Safety Officer, Paul works closely with the DC and traveled all over Aotearoa to capture these beautiful photos. Marine and freshwater fish both make appearances in these glamorous shots. Pick up a copy during your next visit to the DC!

10/01/2024

The Discovery Centre will be closing early today at 2pm for a private function. Sorry for any inconvenience! We will be open again tomorrow during normal hours 10am-4pm.

20/07/2022

Small and delicate porcelain crabs capture plankton from the water using hair-like structures (setae) on their mouth parts.

03/10/2021

Circular-saw shell, star shell, Astraea heliotropium. Donated by Lesley Leversha.

24/09/2021

False angel's wing. Rock borer. Pholadidae Barnea (Anchomasa) similis. (Gray, 1835). Donated by Lesley Leversha.

23/08/2021

08/08/2021

PhD candidate Louise Wilson's research involves using hydrophone recordings to characterise the ambient underwater soundscapes over a range of coastal habitats within the Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana. This will allow Louise to quantify noise-related impacts from marine vessels through space and time relative to natural baselines.

10/05/2021

A rāhui has been placed over the area surrounding Te Hawere-a-Maki, the Goat Island Marine Reserve by local iwi Ngāti Manuhiri; out of respect for the 8 metre female pakake/minke whale that washed ashore this morning. She received a traditional karakia and blessing before being removed for burial.

06/03/2021

From Monday 8th of March we will reopen everyday from 10am to 4pm. Level two restrictions apply.

06/03/2021

28/02/2021

We are currently closed under Alert Level 3.

17/02/2021

We are open under Covid Alert Level 2 everyday from 10am to 4pm.

15/02/2021

We are currently closed under Covid Alert Level 3.

15/02/2021

Address

160 Goat Island Road
Leigh
0985

Website

http://www.goatislandmarine.co.nz/

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Videos

Small and delicate porcelain crabs capture plankton from the water using hair-like structures (setae) on their mouth parts.

Goodbye Luna

A Luna the octopus follow-up: some people who saw the original tweet had questions about our keeping octopuses in captivity. Here at the Discovery Centre, we take wild caught octopuses from Ti Point and other popular fishing areas, and keep them for a few weeks for visitors to see. Once their time is up, we release them where they were originally caught. Here's Luna heading back into the ocean yestersay, blissfully unaware of her new online infamy.

Big School of Jack Mackerel, Goat Island Marine Reserve, Leigh NZ.

A large school of Jack Mackerel in the shallow waters at Goat Island Marine Reserve (Cape Rodney to Point Okakari Reserve). Instead of an aquarium, visitors to the reserve get to experience the marine life in the wild by snorkelling, kayaking, paddling in see-through Clearyak, and SCUBA diving. For a fuller experience, follow the trail up the hill to learn more about the fish and other cool creatures you see. The Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre is a fun interactive and educational experience for adults and children (and big kids). - Summer hours: 7 days a week, 10 am - 4 pm. - Family passes available. Free for children under 4. - Access via wheelchair-friendly footpath. - Parking in public carpark only. - Public change rooms and showers in public carpark. Video credit: Norman Goebeler.