International festival, Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans, organised by PangeaSeed, a public art project that brings the oceans into the streets around the world, is coming back to Napier for a second year. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
The ocean covers 70 per cent of the earth's surface.
But, it often falls victim to human actions on the remaining 30 per cent.
National Aquarium Educator, Jake Brookie, says, "No part of New Zealand is more than 130km away from the sea, it is such an ingrained part ofwho we are."
This is one of the many lessons learnt during the nation's annual Sea Week.
New Zealand co-ordinator and Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans Festival Director, Cinzah Merkens, says the aim is to "give the ocean a voice".
"Being able to learn a bit more about them has been really good."
Mr Merkens says one of the murals depicts a "one-to-one scale, life size" version of a blue whale.
From across the road it simply looks like a whale, "but when you drive past along the street, or walking, then you can see all the little items in there, and there's everything from household items like toothbrushes to cigarette lighters".
Organised by not for profit PangeaSeed Foundation, the festival has previously been held in Los Angeles, Vietnam, Mexico and Sri Lanka.
Napier City Council has previously given $30,000 to help bring the international artists to Napier, and sponsors have chipped in for other costs.
Mr Merkens says: "They become powerful educational tools, today we gave this tour and I've spoken to lots of other people that have gotten in touch from different primary schools and intermediate schools who have included this in their curriculum."
Twenty murals will be added to the 29 painted last year - adding vibrancy to Napier's landscape - and a reminder for us to treasure the ocean.
