Disney’s Moana 2 Makes a Splash with New Conservation Campaign

By collaborating with Pristine Seas, this campaign supports the team’s work with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, government and partners to protect our ocean because when marine life has the opportunity to thrive, the sea gives back in multitudes.

Since 2008, Pristine Seas has explored and researched underwater locations all over the world, helping to create 29 marine protected areas, covering more than 6.8 million square kilometers. These areas, which are like national parks of the sea, benefit both people and the planet.

Additionally, the collaboration with Polynesian Voyaging Society allows for the continued practice of traditional wayfinding, as seen in Moana and Moana 2. Before the invention of the compass, clocks, or GPS, Pacific Islanders navigated open-ocean voyages without instruments, using instead their observations of the stars, the sun, the ocean swells, and other signs of nature for clues to the direction and location of a vessel at sea – just like Moana. Over time, these methods have been in danger of being lost due to modernization, but a revival of the art and science of wayfinding is underway among the Pacific islands, led by the organization.

Since Polynesian Voyaging Society launched its traditional voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa almost 50 years ago, the sacred vessel has become a vehicle for exploring the oceans, Earth, and natural world.  With every voyage, Polynesian Voyaging Society started to recover lost cultural traditions and uncover the vital importance of humanity’s relationship with nature. Hōkūleʻa has sailed nearly 300,000 miles connecting with Indigenous communities, ocean scientists, educators, and students the world over.  Next year, the Moanauiākea Voyage will resume and Hōkūleʻa will continue her circumnavigation of the Pacific to help grow a movement to care for our oceans and our Earth.

This effort is one of several ways that Disney is giving back to our communities in celebration of Moana 2, a film that brings happiness and a little Disney magic to kids and families around the world. Additionally, it’s part of Disney’s longstanding commitment to take meaningful and measurable action to support a healthier planet for people and wildlife, a commitment we call Disney Planet Possible. Since 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund has directed more than $125 million to global collaborations to inspire conservation action and positively impact wildlife and their habitats, including oceans. In addition, grants from the Disney Conservation Fund have helped support community-based programs working to expand the appreciation and protection of marine life across more than 40 countries and all five oceans.

About Moana 2
“Moana 2” reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G. Derrick Jr., and produced by Yvett Merino and Christina Chen, “Moana 2” features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foaʻi, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

About Pristine Seas
Pristine Seas works with Indigenous and local communities, governments, and other partners to help protect vital places in the ocean using a unique combination of research, community engagement, policy work, and strategic communications and media. Since 2008, our program has conducted more than 45 expeditions worldwide and helped establish 29 marine reserves spanning more than 6.8 million square kilometers of ocean.

About Polynesian Voyaging Society
The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in 1973 on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, seeking to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, one another, and their natural and cultural environments.