‘Lifeblood of the planet’: Victoria celebrates its 12th World Ocean Day

Published 3:30 pm Monday, June 1, 2026

Hundreds of visitors attended this year’s World Ocean Day in Victoria at Fisherman’s Wharf on May 31. (Olivier Laurin/Victoria News)

Although we might be surrounded by forests, parks, green spaces and concrete, land isn’t king on this planet as water covers more than 70 per cent of the globe.

But in recent decades, oceans face a growing list of threats, from pollution to rising temperatures. In response, World Ocean Day was launched more than two decades ago to help protect and restore marine ecosystems.

Since its launch in 2002, the global event has expanded to thousands of activities, attracting millions of participants each year and more than 2,000 organizations across 180 countries.

In Victoria, Eagle Wing Tours and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) have partnered for the past 12 years to host the city’s World Ocean Day event at Fisherman’s Wharf, held May 31.

“We’re two organizations with like-minded visions of bringing people together from the community to get excited about helping preserve and protect the ocean,” said Eagle Wing Tours co-owner and operator Brett Soberg.

Brett Soberg is the co-owner and operator of Eagle Wing Tours. (Olivier Laurin/Victoria News)

The event featured about 25 organizations from a range of sectors, offering information and discussions on ocean protection as well as opportunities to learn more about local marine wildlife.

“The ocean is the lifeblood of the planet,” Soberg said. “If the ocean is not healthy, the planet is not healthy. It’s critical that we take care of it, ensure it’s thriving, full of nutrients, and has healthy circulation.”

Soberg, who has spent three decades operating marine wildlife tours and logged more than 20,000 hours on the water, said he has seen changes over time. While he described the health of the Salish Sea as “very good,” he said continued work is needed.

He added that even small actions can make a difference.

“Gravity connects everybody to the ocean; everything flows downhill and ends up in the ocean,” he said. “We might be upstream, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a connection to the ocean. Taking care of the ocean is taking care of your community.”

More information on World Ocean Day is available at gvha.ca/events/world-ocean-day.