Victoria whale watching company wins international award for floating classroom program

CHEK

A Victoria whale-watching company is walking away with an international award for its marine schoolkid education program, which brings kids to study on the sea.

“I mean, there’s nothing like having a real-world experiential moment outside of the classroom. And I think there’s a lot of value and a lot of merit with that. You tend to absorb a little bit more if you can stimulate your senses,” said Brett Soberg, owner of Eagle Wing Tours.

From tasting kelp to smelling a seal, Eagle Wing’s schoolkid marine education program brings what elementary school kids learn in the classroom to life.

Eagle Wing Tours started the program in 2018. Since then, it’s more than quadrupled in size, hosting up to 4,000 kids yearly. Soberg says it’s a program no one else is really doing.

“As far as we know, we’re the only for-profit organization putting something like this together in all of North America, maybe in the world,” Soberg told CHEK News.

Now the program is getting international recognition, winning the Outstanding Organization Award from the National Marine Educators Association for getting kids on the water, connecting them to the Salish Sea, and ultimately caring for their big, blue backyard.

“You only protect what you love and understand, and this program is all about building that passionate connection to the ocean,” added Soberg.

He says the award only shines a light on what they know they’re already doing — inspiring the future generation to do right by where they live.

Kori SidawayKori Sidaway

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