The 2025 Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival was a true community celebration — a week of ocean storytelling, learning, and connection made possible by an extraordinary collective effort.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dozens of contributors who brought the 2025 Festival to life:
Our talented film festival programmer, website designer, and graphic artist, Billie Carroll, dedicated herself to curating and showcasing a lineup of powerful and moving ocean stories that informed, inspired, and moved audiences.
Our incredible Events Coordinator, Sully Messner, whose creativity, care, and coordination ensured that all of our events and talks ran smoothly from start to finish.
Sophie Cheshire, and Alison Taylor for their outstanding work in promoting the festival and enlisting community engagement in the program.
SCCA Executive Director Suzanne Senger, for leading the festival team, hosting the NEMO Talks and guiding us through powerful conversations and reflections throughout the week.
Our SCCA volunteers — Robyn, Maggie, Gail, Bill W, Denise, Rick, Theressa, Izabella, Junyu, Cindy and Ocea for your energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and community spirit!
Our exceptional NEMO Talk presenters, Dr. Cherisse Du Preez, Adam Taylor, Dianne Sanford, Ellika Cairns and Alicia Elgert, for generously sharing their work, research, and projects, and for their deep dedication to ocean knowledge, protection, and stewardship.
Festival event collaborators RhizomeUp!Media, Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Halfmoon Bay Sea Kayaks, Talaysay Tours, Tidepools, and Marine Stewardship Initiative Society for helping grow the festival program, reach, educate and inspire more people to #LoveOurOceans;
Local organizations, educators, and exhibitors, including participants from the shíshálh Nation Education Department, Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers, Sunshine Coast Tourism, Ocean Wise, Georgia Strait Alliance, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), brought engaging games and educational activities to inspire curiosity and ignite interest in ocean conservation.
DJ Sam Pulpo, for spinning the soundtrack to our ocean celebration.
Rotary Sechelt for providing a BBQ for hungry celebrants.
We extend a big thank you to our funders, including the District of Sechelt, the BC Government, the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition, and Ocean Week Canada, without whose support the festival would not be possible.
Huge thanks to our generous raffle prize donors
- A kayak rental from Halfmoon Bay Sea Kayaks
- Puzzle and toy bundle from Pastimes Games
- $100 gift card to Clayton’s Grocery Store
- Three sets of tickets to hear Holly Hogan speak at the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts this August.
And you, our dear community, for joining the festival and making it all worthwhile!
🌊 Help Us Keep the Tide Rising
If the Festival moved you — if you learned something new, felt inspired, or deepened your connection to the ocean — we invite you to help us sustain this work.
Your donation supports year-round marine conservation, youth education, and public events like this one.
💙 DONATE TODAY and be part of the movement to protect what we love!