What We Do
Ocean conservation needs two things: people doing the work, and people backing them. We work on both.
That means supporting the conservationists closest to the problem — the people on the nesting beaches, in the fishing communities, on the coastlines where the plastic washes up. And it means bringing more people to the ocean, because the ocean conservation movement we need gets built one first-hand encounter at a time.
Through our programs, we make grants to local partners worldwide, support community-led cleanups, help students experience the ocean for the first time, and put travelers face-to-face with its wildest places.
Want to understand the issues first? Start here.
By the Numbers
The ocean is more persuasive than we are
Since 1969, we've been bringing people to the ocean — travelers, students, volunteers — because a first-hand encounter in nature does something that the best ocean footage can't. People come back changed, and they stay involved. That's the movement our ocean needs, and it's the reason we treat every expedition, boat trip, and cleanup as an invitation rather than an event.
Our Programs
Sea Turtle Conservation
Five of the seven sea turtle species are still threatened with extinction. We fund the people working the nesting beaches, publish the data that shows the world where to act, and connect a global network of conservationists to each other.
Conservation Scholars
Access to nature shouldn't be a luxury. We take students from under-resourced Bay Area schools out on San Francisco Bay to experience and learn about the ocean — free of charge, with classroom curriculum built around the trip.
Global Ocean Cleanup
An annual campaign, held every June since 2022. We fund and coordinate community-led cleanups around the world, then pair them with art, storytelling, and an online push that carries the message well beyond the beach.
Our Expeditions
We pioneered nonprofit nature travel in 1969 and have run expeditions ever since. Naturalist-led and small-group, they're built to maximize wildlife encounters while minimizing impact on the places you came to see. Trip spending flows to nonprofits, park fees, and community partners, and any profit goes back into the organization.
Expedition Impact Program
Every expedition booking automatically funds the removal of 200 lbs of marine debris in Kenya, helps plant three climate-resistant corals in an Indonesian marine protected area, and feeds a grant pool for grassroots conservation groups in the places we visit. At no extra cost to the traveler.
