Photo by AwesomeOcean
For this Thanksgiving week, we wanted to take a look at some of the amazing organizations that are making our world a better place and tell everyone why we’re thankful for them.
The Vancouver Aquarium is an incredible facility who is working to protect, conserve and educate people about our awesome oceans.
10. Ocean Wise – The Vancouver Aquarium has been working hard at educating restaurants, markets and consumers alike on how best to enjoy sustainably sourced seafood. With over 600 partners across Canada, the Vancouver Aquarium is making eating sustainable seafood easy for everyone.
9. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup – From the West Coast to the East Coast, Canadians participate in the Vancouver Aquarium’s shoreline clean up every year. In 2014, over 54,000 people participated and collected more than 306,000 pounds of trash.
8. Cetacean Research – Since 1956, the Vancouver Aquarium has been home to incredible and ground breaking cetacean research that has helped animals in the wild and in human care. The Vancouver Aquarium has helped the world learn more about killer whales, belugas, dolphins and porpoises.
7. Ocean Pollution Research Center – The Vancouver Aquarium is leading the way in research on pollution in the oceans and monitoring the health of fish, marine mammals and their habitat.
6. Jack and Daisy, the harbor porpoises- Both Jack and Daisy are harbor porpoises who were found stranded as very young calves. After a long rehabilitation process, both Jack and Daisy were deemed to be unreleasable by the Canadian government. The lessons learned from Jack and Daisy’s recovery led to the successful rehabilitation and release of Levi, a third harbor porpoise who stranded in 2013.
5. Springer, The Orphaned Killer Whale – In 2001, a killer whale calf was orphaned when her mother died. The Vancouver Aquarium sprung into action with a team of people from the U.S. and Canada. Through lots of hard work and sleepless nights Springer was finally released and reunited with her pod. In 2013, Springer gave birth to her first calf.
4. Helen, the Pacific White Sided Dolphin – Helen was rescued after becoming entangled in a fishing net. She was transported to the Vancouver Aquarium. Unfortunately due to her injuries, both her pectoral flippers had to be amputated. Because of this procedure, she was deemed unreleasable and has a forever home at the Vancouver Aquarium.
3. Chester, the False Killer Whale – Chester was found stranded as a calf on the coastline. Rescuers gave him a 10% chance of surviving. Against the odds, Chester survived. After a long rehabilitation process, the Canadian government determined he was unreleasable and now Chester lives with Helen at the Vancouver Aquarium.
2. Marine Mammal Rescue Facility – When an animal becomes stranded in Canada it is the Vancouver Aquarium that answers the call. They are the largest rehabilitation organization in Canada and are a keystone to marine mammal conservation. The Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Facility has given thousands of animals a second chance at life.
1. Hardworking men and women dedicated to marine animals – All of the great things that have been accomplished by the Vancouver Aquarium would not be possible without the dedicated and hardworking team of over 1,500 individuals. Team members often give up their weekends and holidays to provide love and care for the animals at their rescue center and who have a forever home at the Vancouver Aquarium.
The Vancouver Aquarium is part of an amazing network of accredited organizations that help educate and inspire millions of people a year to protect and conserve our natural world.
This Thanksgiving, give thanks for the people who are working tirelessly to protect and save our awesome oceans.