Presentations on Marine Mammals and Boater Safety and Stewardship Are Available!

Apr 8, 2021

Get ready for the upcoming boating season by reviewing your knowledge of safe boating practices around large whales!

In February, two presentations were provided at the first ever virtual Vancouver International Boat Show by Environmental Committee member Jackie Hildering.

She included content from the CPS-ECP #BoatBlue Boater Education resource in both presentations adding her expertise as a Humpback Researcher with the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS). The presentations centered on the return of large whales, particularly Humpback Whales, in BC waters, and how it has changed the game for boaters.
Information regarding the laws and best practices, to protect both whales and boaters, was shared.

MERS also recently partnered with Tourism Vancouver Island and the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association (NIMMSA) to develop a workshop on ethical advertising: “Where the Whales Are: Best Practices for Marine Mammal Viewing Experiences”. The workshop notably covers best practices for sharing sightings on social media. The recommendations put forth in that workshop can apply to marine mammal viewing around the world.

If you missed these presentations, fear not! Recorded versions of all these webinars are available here: mersociety.org/presentations. Happy viewing!
Visit boatblue.ca for more information on how to be a responsible boater and participate in the health and conservation of our waterways.

Related Articles

Video Gallery

Bennington 22 MSB

By Andy Adams

If you’ve already had firsthand experience with a pontoon, you will easily understand the appeal of the Bennington 22 MSB. But if you haven’t, let’s start by reviewing a few of the reasons why pontoon boats have become top sellers in markets across North America.

Pontoon boats began in the early 1950s as basically four steel drums lashed to a frame. They were not unlike the log rafts of ancient cultures and not much more sophisticated at first.

Read More

Destinations

The Best of Two Worlds

By Mathew Channer

Interior British Columbia might not be as famous for recreational boating as Canada’s Great Lakes, yet it is no less a world-class boat­ing destination. The mountains offer their own flavour of marine adventure with their series of long, deep ribbon lakes, and there is perhaps no area that embodies this more uniquely than the iconic Okanagan basin in southern B.C. One could be forgiven for assuming this valley was purpose-built for nautical fun, with a few delightful perks thrown in to make the area entirely irresistible (wine-tasting, anyone?).

Read More

Lifestyle