At Campbell River Whale Watching (CRWW), we believe that responsible tourism isn't a destination - it’s a continuous journey. Every season brings new challenges, new learnings, and new opportunities to do better for our ocean, our community, and our team.
We’ve been leading in sustainability for many years now, but 2025 was the year we raised the bar. From achieving the highest levels of sustainability certification to conducting successful zero-waste trials and deepening our cultural connections, we pushed the boundaries of what a sustainable wildlife tour company can be.
Here is a look back at our journey through 2025, the milestones we celebrated, and an honest look at where we stand on our goals.
2025 Milestones: Reaching New Heights
This year, our commitment to the environment was validated by some of the most rigorous standards in the industry. We didn't just maintain our standing; we leveled up.
- GreenStep Platinum Certified: We are thrilled to announce that we moved from Gold to Platinum Certification. This is the highest level achievable with GreenStep Sustainable Tourism, recognizing our comprehensive efforts across management, social, natural, and cultural performance.
- BC Green Business "Green Leader": We also achieved Green Leader status, the highest tier of certification within the BC Green Business program.
- Biosphere Recertified: We successfully maintained our Biosphere certification, ensuring our operations align with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Community, Culture & Inclusivity
Sustainability is about more than just carbon footprints; it’s about social equity and cultural respect. This year, we focused heavily on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and strengthening our relationships with local First Nations.
- DEI Training: To ensure our tours are welcoming to everyone, our entire team (including seasonal staff) participated in a mandatory comprehensive DEI training with Lauren Semple at the beginning of our season. This was the second year of offering this training to our staff members. In 2025, we invited staff of the Campbell River Museum to join this training free of charge to support an amazing non-profit in the community.
- New Storytelling: We filmed exciting new video content with Peter O’Hara and Jenna Dixon. These videos focus heavily on storytelling and our DEI initiatives.
- Indigenous Relations: In partnership with the We Wai Kum First Nation, we introduced a "Traditional Welcome Trial" on select tours. This allowed guests to be welcomed to these waters in a traditional manner, deepening the cultural context of our wildlife experiences.
- Fundraising & Support:
- Pride: We hosted another successful Pride Cruise and provided paid volunteer hours for our staff to support the Pride Festival in Campbell River. Those initiatives allowed us to raise a total of $1,538 for North Island Pride in 2025.
- Truth and Reconciliation: We raised a total of $1,139 for the Laichwiltach Family Life Society with a fundraising trip on National Indigenous Peoples Day and 100% of proceeds from our Orange Shirt sales in September.
- Community: We ran fundraising tours for Hospice Campbell River on Canada Day and supported MERS (Marine Education and Research Society). For MERS, we donated a private charter valued at $6,310.00, which enabled them to sell tickets and retain 100% of the proceeds, directly supporting their programs and services. For Hospice, we contributed a private charter valued at $3,719.30, allowing Hospice to sell all seats and use the full ticket revenue to fund compassionate end-of-life care and family support services.
Environmental Stewardship: Towards Zero Waste
We took a hard look at our physical footprint this year, specifically regarding waste.
- 100% Waste Diversion Rate: We conducted an annual waste audit, and the results were incredible. In 2024 our diversion rate was 90%, but in 2025, we hit 100%. This means virtually all waste generated by our operations (specifically tour lunches) was diverted from the landfill through recycling and composting.
- Reusable Lunch Bags: We replaced paper lunch bags with fully reusable bags. While the paper was recyclable, reusables are even better.
- Identifying Ga
ps: While our internal operations are doing great, we noticed that guest-generated waste in our waiting area is often unsorted. To fix this, we are planning to install a proper waste sorting station for guests next season. - Beach Cleanups: We organized a community beach cleanup in collaboration with the Campbell River Skating Club and the Discovery Passage Aquarium, providing paid volunteer hours for our staff to participate.
- Wilderness International: Through our ongoing partnership, we continued to protect vital old-growth forests in British Columbia. In 2025, we raised $22,115.00 through ticket sales and our integrated sustainability fee, helping to protect over 14,700 m² of rainforest in the Misty Forest on Porcher Island. This area of protected old-growth habitat supports more than 1,000 trees and provides critical refuge for wildlife for generations to come.
ps:Shifting the Narrative: Honest Conversations
True sustainability requires a shift in mindset - not just for us, but for the entire industry and our guests. This year, we leaned into some "unconventional" content, prioritizing education and honesty over standard marketing.
Through deep-dive blog posts and successful social media campaigns, we challenged the status quo of wildlife tourism:
- Reframing the Experience: We explored the concept of "How Wild". For wildlife tourism to be sustainable and ethical, we must collectively embrace the mindset of “how wild” rather than “how close” or “how spectacular”.
- Ethical Marketing: We published "Why We Don't Guarantee Sightings," a piece explaining why treating wildlife like a guaranteed commodity goes against our ethical standards.
- The Reality of Zero Waste: We transparently documented the challenges and wins of our Zero Waste Journey, showing that sustainability is hard work, not just a buzzword.
By leading with these stories, we are helping to build a community of conscious travelers who value the wild in wildlife.
Team Spotlight: Leading by Example
Our staff are the heartbeat of our sustainability mission. This year, we kept engagement high with three internal contests: Bike Bingo, Sustainability Bingo, and a "Best Sustainability Idea" contest.
Our Marketing and Sales Manager Maddie was a finalist for the Youth Leadership Award at the Ecostar Awards. This nomination recognizes her incredible work in positioning CRWW as a leader in ethical wildlife tours and driving real action within our team.
2025 Giving Back: Investing in Our Future
One of our core pillars is ensuring that our success directly benefits the ecosystem and community that sustain us. We are proud to share a look at our 2025 Donation Program numbers.
This year, we contributed a total of $149,056.57 across three key impact areas:
- Environmental Initiatives: $129,235.01
- Social Causes: $16,225.92
- Education Programs: $19,454.02
How We Made an Impact
While the numbers tell part of the story, the way we give is just as important as the amount:
- Fundraising Support: $30,759.75 of our total contribution was provided through gift card donations, helping local organizations and non-profits reach their own fundraising milestones.
- Powered by Our Guests: Through our ticket sustainability fees, we provided direct monetary support to vital partners like NIMMSA and the CBVA. These contributions are a direct result of your visits - we truly couldn't do this without our guests!
- Accessible Education: Beyond direct donations, we are committed to our local schools. By heavily discounting our education programs and running them at a "not-for-profit" cost, we ensure that local students can engage with our programs regardless of budget.
These highlights represent just a few of the ways we are working to build a better future. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
A Transparent Look at Our Goals
Transparency is key to avoiding "greenwashing." Here is an honest update on the goals we set for ourselves:
1. Community Impact & Volunteering
- Goal: Increase community impact through a minimum of 150 volunteer hours.
- Status: Achieved. Our owners went above and beyond, clocking over 200 volunteer hours! However, staff paid volunteer hours were lower than anticipated, at around 25 hours.
- Adjustment for 2026: We are setting specific targets for each group: At least 200 paid volunteer hours for owners and 50 paid volunteer hours for staff.
2. Waste Reduction
- Goal: Decrease garbage going to landfills by 5%.
- Status: Achieved & Exceeded. As mentioned, our waste diversion rate jumped from 90% to 100%.
3. Vessel Electrification
- Goal: Form a partnership to develop a hybrid or plug-in vessel.
- Status: Paused/Ongoing Challenge. We applied for a grant to move this forward, but unfortunately, it did not proceed. The reality is that the current technology struggles with the strong currents in the waters around Campbell River.
- Outlook: We remain committed to this vision and will continue to monitor technological advancements, but we must ensure safety and efficiency first.
4. Indigenous Connections
- Goal: Move forward protocol agreements by 2025.
- Status: In Progress. We made great strides with our We Wai Kum traditional welcome trials and fundraising for the Laichwiltach Family Life Society.
- Adjustment: We are adjusting our timeline to sign a formal protocol agreement by 2026.
5. Education Programs
- Goal: Develop a not-for-profit floating classroom.
- Status: Pilot Successful. Our Lead Naturalist, Zoe, conducted a pilot program with a Southgate School class. We ran two of these trips with Southgate in 2025 - one in the spring and one in the fall.
- Adjustment: For 2026, our goal is to expand this program to include multiple schools across SD 72 and SD 71.
Looking Ahead: New Goals for the Future
As we look toward 2026 and beyond, we are setting precise targets to ensure we keep moving forward. Here are the specific goals we are committing to:
- Accessibility Audit: To complete a professional accessibility audit of both our physical vessels/facilities and our digital communications by the end of the 2026 season, resulting in a clear action plan to improve the guest experience for all abilities.
- Infrastructure Upgrades: To completely phase out unencapsulated styrofoam from our float house infrastructure and replace it with sustainable, marine-safe alternatives by 2027 to prevent microplastic pollution.
- Enhanced Transparency: To design and publish our first comprehensive Annual Sustainability Report - integrating detailed environmental data and social impact metrics - for public review by 2027.
