Although the pandemic prevented the safe hosting of an in-person World Oceans Day celebration this past year, the SCCA Marine Committee created a video project to engage residents and visitors, encourage appreciation and stewardship of our local marine diversity, and contribute to future marine education and conservation initiatives. With financial support from the District of Sechelt, we compiled footage of marine life in ?alhtulich (Sechelt Inlet) and the Salish Sea, and worked with a local underwater video producer to create a short visual montage of ‘Life Beneath the Surface’. This beautiful marine education and outreach video is well-suited for a COVID and post-COVID world as it can be presented virtually or in-person.

This project gives residents and visitors the chance to connect with the fragile and abundant marine life, just beneath the surface where they may live, work, or play. It opens the door to a magnificent world, and instils a sense of appreciation and understanding of how vulnerable the marine environment is to human impact.

The foundation of this idea was made possible through strong collaborative efforts by local conservation-minded divers and content producers, including Geoff Grognet of AquaticHD Productions, Jamie Smith of SeaChange Marine Conservation, Sarama (creator of This Living Salish Sea), Neil McDaniel (diver), and Roy Mulder of UWVIDEO1.

We gratefully acknowledge that the filming and production of this video was completed within the traditional and unceded territory of the shishalh Nation.

The video is available on our Youtube channel - please like and share the video, and subscribe to our channel!