Surfrider At the 2024 Pacific Rim Whale Festival

From March 16th to 24th, the annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival returned once again to celebrate the healthy return of Pacific Gray Whales to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The Pacific Gray Whale’s migration route is one of the longest known mammal migration routes in the animal kingdom, ranging between summer feeding grounds of the Arctic, and wintering grounds of Baja California, Mexico. In spring, The northern migration of upwards of 20,000 Pacific Grey Whales passes by Vancouver Island’s western shore en route to the Bering Sea.

The Pacific Rim Whale Festival's week-long festival includes exciting community events between Ucluelet, Tofino, and Pacific Rims National Park Reserve. This year, Surfrider Pacific Rim had the opportunity to be included in the Whale Festival Parade where volunteers put together an ocean-plastic advocation-themed parade float.

Surfrider Pacific Rim had support from Mackenzie Beach Resort for the event, who provided volunteers with three sheets of plywood and all the necessary tools and materials to construct the float. Two reclaimed surfboards were secured to our trailer and the walls were decorated with discarded fishnets, ocean plastics, fishing rope, and other collected beach debris, conveying a poignant message about ocean conservation.

The centerpieces of our float, two large waves made from plywood and plastic, served as a powerful visual representation of the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on our marine ecosystems. We aimed to inspire others to take action and become stewards of our oceans. Surfrider Pacific Rim was proud to take home first place for our float, capturing the attention of parade attendees while also sparking important conversations about the urgent need for action to protect our oceans.