THE CONCEPT
The Ocean Wildlife Academy is a 10 day summer youth program aimed at providing teens with an immersive experience into coastal marine exploration and the study of marine mammals. This program is intended for students ages 12-17 who are expressing interest in a career in marine sciences. The program is 60 hours total of planned nautical excursions and on shore activities over the course of 10 days. Participants will log a minimum of 25 hours sea time, while learning the fundamentals necessary to competently crew a small research vessel. The majority of these hours will be spent locating, viewing and studying marine mammals in the wild. The balance of 35 hours will be a mix of; Small Vessel Safety, Navigation and Chart Reading, and a variety of Activities relating to the study of Marine Mammals.
Founders Mike and Sarah work in the commercial whale watching industry, and also with various animal rescues and NGO's focused on marine conservation. Through their experience they have learned that, for many who aspire to work in the field of marine sciences, there are few avenues available to obtain real world experience in this unique field of work. For many, this is done by working in the commercial whale watching industry. These positions are limited, and are typically prioritized for university aged students. This program provides an opportunity for High School Aged students to gain the highly coveted and often unobtainable first hand experience with marine mammals and also open water navigational experience.
In addition to learning the fundamentals of boating, participants will learn how to spot and identify a variety of marine mammals. With our close proximity to Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, we will provide ample opportunities for participants to view and study these animals in their natural habitat. The Academy Clubhouse is located in the Sooke Harbour, which is centrally located in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Our geographical location puts us at the bottle neck for whales, porpoises and pinnipeds migrating to and from the Salish Sea. This means that sightings are plentiful and are also usually pretty close to home base. The program length of 10 days is necessary however, to ensure ample opportunities to expose participants to the wide variety of wildlife we have in our region of the Pacific Northwest. As opportunities to view some species are less common than others, the length of this program gives us the freedom to provide a fully immersive experience with each and every marine mammal species that we encounter.
This program is in its infancy, but by design intends to grow with our participants. Students who complete the 10 day program will achieve rank within the academy as recognition of program completion. Returning students will have the opportunity to rank-up as they complete subsequent program modules (to be developed for the successive program years). The Mission of The Ocean Wildlife Academy is to bring together likeminded individuals for the purpose of building skills and living experiences, related to the observation and conservation of Marine Mammals and Marine Coastal Ecosystems. Through these experiences The Academy hopes to provide a strong foundation for these individuals to build their careers, through the encouragement and support of their likeminded peers. Our dream is to see our Academy Alumni grow with the program, and with each other, and hopefully carry the experiences and friendships gained through this program throughout a successful career in the field of Marine Sciences.
