Effective Date: April 30, 2026 Oceanic Society (OS) is committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains what information we collect through our website, how we use it, and what choices you have. If you have questions or would like to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, please contact us at administrator@oceanicsociety.org.

What information do we collect?

Oceanic Society collects information voluntarily provided by visitors. This may include information submitted when:
  • Booking an expedition
  • Requesting a publication
  • Purchasing an item
  • Making a donation
  • Signing up for email communications
The information we collect may include:
  • Personally identifiable information (such as name, email address, mailing address, and phone number)
  • Information about organizational affiliation
  • Information about your interests or preferences
We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information without your awareness. In addition, we may automatically collect limited technical information, such as your IP (Internet Protocol) address, browser type, device type, and general geographic location. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website and improve its performance. This data is generally aggregated and not used to identify individual users.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our website and better understand how our site is used. These technologies may include:
  • Essential cookies, which are necessary for the website to function properly
  • Analytics cookies, which help us understand how visitors interact with our website (for example, through tools such as Google Analytics)
  • Advertising or marketing cookies, which may be used by third-party services to measure the effectiveness of communications or provide relevant content
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. In addition, we are working to implement enhanced tools that allow you to manage your cookie preferences directly on our website.

How is this information used by OS?

We may share your information with:
  • Trusted third-party service providers that help us operate our website and services (for example, payment processors, email platforms, and analytics tools). These providers are given access only to the information necessary to perform their functions.
  • Travel suppliers when you book an expedition with us — including lodges, ground operators, charter and dive operators, in-country guides, and transportation providers — as necessary to operate the expedition you have booked. We share only the information needed for these suppliers to deliver their services, which typically includes your name, arrival and departure details, emergency contact information, and any dietary or medical information you have provided.
  • Co-branded trip partners when you book a trip that we offer jointly with another organization (for example, a museum, aquarium, university, or other partner). For these trips, we share your registration contact information with the partner organization for purposes related to your trip. Where you have separately opted in at the time of booking, we may also share your contact information with the partner so that the partner can send you its own communications. Each partner’s use of your information is governed by its own privacy policy, which we will identify to you at the time of booking.
Oceanic Society uses the information we collect to:
  • Process donations, purchases, and expedition bookings
  • Respond to inquiries and provide requested information
  • Send email communications (when you have opted in or in connection with a transaction)
  • Improve our website, programs, and outreach efforts
  • Operate our educational travel programs worldwide
Oceanic Society has a strict policy against buying or selling personal information. We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with trusted third-party service providers that help us operate our website and services (for example, payment processors, email platforms, and analytics tools). These providers are only given access to the information necessary to perform their functions.

Email policy

Oceanic Society provides opportunities for users to sign up for email newsletters and updates. We only send email communications to individuals who have:
  • Opted in to receive them, or
  • Provided their email address in connection with a transaction or inquiry
Every email we send includes a clear and easy way to unsubscribe or update your preferences.

Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party services to support our operations. These may include:
  • Payment processors such as Stripe, PayPal, and Square
  • Reservation systems such as Checkfront
  • Email marketing and CRM platforms (such as HubSpot)
  • Website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics)
  • Social media tools (such as Meta Pixel)
  • Travel suppliers, including lodges, ground operators, charter and dive operators, in-country guides, and transportation providers, for expeditions you have booked
  • Co-branded trip partners (such as museums, aquariums, and universities) for jointly offered expeditions
These services may collect and process information in accordance with their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies when appropriate.

Security of your information

Oceanic Society takes reasonable measures to protect your personal information. Sensitive data, such as credit card information, is collected through secure forms and transmitted using industry-standard encryption technologies (SSL). We retain financial information only as long as necessary to complete transactions. While we take appropriate precautions, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure.

California Privacy Information

If you are a resident of California, you may have additional rights regarding your personal information. While Oceanic Society is a nonprofit organization and not directly subject to all provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), we strive to provide transparency and control consistent with widely accepted privacy standards. These rights may include:
  • Requesting access to the personal information we have about you
  • Requesting deletion or correction of your personal information
  • Requesting information about how your data is used and shared
  • Requesting that we limit certain types of data sharing
We do not sell personal information. However, we may use third-party services (such as analytics or marketing tools) that involve limited data sharing. Sharing with travel suppliers and co-branded trip partners as described above is not a “sale” of personal information: such sharing is necessary to operate trips you have booked or, in the case of partner communications, occurs only with your prior consent. To make a request, please contact us at administrator@oceanicsociety.org.

Links to Third-Party Sites

Oceanic Society’s website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

Privacy Policy Changes

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted indicates your acceptance of those changes.