Ocean Week Beach Cleanup on Marina Island Removes Two Truckloads of Marine Debris

For Ocean Week, we partnered with the Discovery Passage Aquarium and the Wei Wai Kum Guardians to host a remote beach cleanup on Marina Island, off of Vancouver Island.

On June 7, departing from our Campbell River location, we transported 12 guests to the island, along with our team of staff and the Wei Wai Kum Guardians. As a company proudly owned by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, we were honoured to have the Guardians join us, providing valuable environmental insight and sharing their stewardship experience as they work to restore and monitor the unique ecosystems of the area. They assisted us in the marine debris cleanup by helping select the location, participating in the cleanup, and transporting a large amount of the recovered marine debris back to Campbell River.

Together, we spent the day removing marine debris and garbage from the island. By the end of the cleanup, we had collected enough waste to fill two truckloads. Among the items recovered were large blocks of styrofoam, a barrel, a carpet, and countless smaller pieces of debris. It was remarkable to see how much garbage could be hidden within such a beautiful coastal environment.

Beach cleanups are an important part of our commitment to environmental stewardship. In the past, we have hosted remote beach cleanups in various locations around Campbell River. But having assistance from the Discovery Passage Aquarium makes regular cleanups more accessible, as they provide supplies and lead the clean. Sustainability is a foundational value of Campbell River Whale Watching. We view sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement - celebrating the progress we've made while recognizing that there is always more work to be done. Environmental stewardship remains at the heart of everything we do.