Traffic had to be diverted down 2nd and 3rd Ave today as hundreds of protestors gathered outside Tauranga MP and Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges' office.

The protest, organised by Labour candidate, Tamati Coffey, was against the Government's decision to allow oil exploration in the habitat of the endangered Maui's dolphin.

Protestors marching along Devonport Road.

The Government has revealed that it will open more than 3000km of the Maui dolphin's habitat, the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary, up for oil and gas exploration.

Read more here.

Tamati told SunLive after the protest he is one of many concerned New Zealanders that have come to protest and stand up for the 55 Maui dolphins that are left in New Zealand.

'I'm overwhelmed by the turnout today. Sometimes when you plan these events who don't know who is going to show up but fortunately this morning we had hundreds of people show up.

'I'm more heartened by the messages of support we got through Facebook and twitter. We received lots of encouragement from people saying we were doing the right thing and that while they couldn't be here with us in Tauranga, there were here in spirit.”

He says the protest isn't a Labour specific event.

'Everything is always political. I am a candidate for Labour but I am doing this as a concerned member of New Zealand. There just happen to be other people from other parties here who are just as passionate.

'I would like to see some sort of action, some sort of acknowledgement from Simon Bridges that there actually a problem and that he is going to do everything he can to protect these species.”

Tamati says digging for oil and gas in their habit is the opposite of that.

'We would like him to acknowledge and implement the International Whaling Commissions findings. They have found for three years now that our Government need to do something to protect these species and we're not doing anything.

'The whole reason we are here today is for the Maui dolphins.”