Raglan is known for its close connection to the Popoto or Māui Dolphin, we’re right in the middle of their limited range, the Whāingaroa catchment flows into the west coast waters which are home to the Māui Dolphin, the world’s rarest. Most of the Māui Dolphin’s threats are human induced and its survival depends on how our coastal communities change their behaviour to reduce these threats and bring back our iconic dolphin.

Māui Dolphin Day is a collaborative community festival which highlights the endangered Popoto/Māui Dolphin, the importance of our marine environment and our community's creative spirit.

The first Māui Dolphin Day was in 2004 and is the largest community day in Raglan! Throughout the event, there is live entertainment on stage, activities and performances around the site, food stalls fundraising for community groups, information from different nationwide organisations all ending with the famous "Recycled Raft Race".
Popoto/Māui dolphins are the smallest out of the 30 identified dolphin species in the world's oceans. In the 1970s, it’s estimated there were around 1,600 Māui dolphins, now there are an estimated population of only 48-64 left. Māui dolphins are endemic to Aotearoa, and they should be treated no differently to the more effectively protected endemic species such as the iconic Kiwi, our internationally known symbol. Our focus is what coastal communities like ours can do to save and protect our neighbours the Māui Dolphin, and more widely our marine environment.

RAFT Registration Form

Keen to join the Recycled Raft Race and get your name added to one of the trophies?Race categories are:
1st: Raddest Recycled Raft
2nd: Best Team Raft
3rd: Most Ambitious Raft
+ Best Junior Raft (Under 16)
+ Fastest Raft

STALL Registration Form

Would your Club or Organisation like to host an information or fundraising food stall?

*This event is a commerce free and zero waste community event. Only not-for-profit/charity organisations and community groups/clubs will be accepted to register a stall.

Numerous Raglan Community groups have worked together to support the dolphin. These have included Harbour Care planting over 1 million trees, fencing over 600kms of harbour and stream edge, Xtreme Zero Waste preventing leachate from old landfill and installing and servicing enviropods in all stormwater entering the Harbour, Whāingaroa Environment Centre conducting water quality advocacy, implementing the Catchment Plan and general dolphin advocacy and KASM assessing and submitting on sea bed mining applications. These projects have had a major positive impact on the harbour and coastal environments with a radical increase in biological abundance and diversity . Māui Dolphin Day celebrates the work we have all been doing and shares the latest about the Dolphin and what’s next in terms of its recovery plan.