Thanks to people like you, approximately 400 events were held in 70 countries to celebrate World Oceans Day. Social media played a huge role in spreading the word this year. The number of Facebook fans for World Oceans Day doubled in the space of a day! We also estimate that in the month of June, a search for “world oceans day” returned:
- 3,759 web results
- 8,417 tweets
- 55 pictures
- 55 videos
In this post we highlight multimedia produced from just a few of the fantastic World Oceans Day events which were held around the globe this year. This post isn’t meant to be comprehensive– not by a long shot! We encourage you to post about events you organized or attended as well. Plus if you have further information or corrections on any of the feature events, just let us know!
Be sure to scroll to the end of this post (or click here) for a list of awesome World Oceans Day 2011 youtube videos!
Environmental Festival & Adur World Oceans Day 2011
Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea, England
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A big ocean display was presented along with activities for kids at the Adur Festival!
Inflatable whale tours Canada!
PEI, Canada
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Art Gaetan, founder of Oceans Wild, took this life-sized inflatable fin whale to several schools around Prince Edward Island. Kids were able to walk straight through the whale as they learned about how they can help protect the ocean and its wildlife.
Clean up at Cox’s Bazaar
Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh
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Cleanup Bangladesh inspires and empowers communities to clean up and conserve their environment. Every year, more business, clubs and organization take cleanup action to protect our environment. This year encouraged participants in Cleanup Bangladesh to act locally to care for the ocean– at the first ever Bangladesh Somudra Utshob (Bangladesh Sea Festival).
Presented by Safety Assistance For Emergencies (SAFE). Partnering with Clean Up the World, Project AWARE Foundation, Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), Global Handwashing Day, and more.
Charity Cruising for WOD
Santa Monica, CA, USA
The “Goddess of the Sea” sail boat has started its sailing the first for the charity event of World Ocean Day. The ship has begun its half-year period around Santa Monica Bay and Malibu Bay to celebrate World Ocean Day. This event is ongoing, sailing from June 8th to December 28th: every week from Wednesday to Sunday.
FEDOSURF’s Ocean Green Cup
Manresa Beach, Haina, Dominican Republic
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Over fifty athletes surfers representatives of the different disciplines of the sport of Surf and Surfing Associations affiliated with the Dominican Federation of Surfing (FEDOSURF) competed in the Ocean Green Cup. Despite the unstable weather, the event organized by FEDOSURF received his blessing to count on the patronage of the mysterious atmosphere, the support of the Dominican Olympic Committee (COD), MIDEREC, Haina International Terminals, as well as institutions and business community. This event culminated the celebration of World Oceans Day.
Nausicaa’s imaginées spécialement pour la Journée Mondiale de l’Océan
Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
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Nausicaa held a variety of World Oceans Day events on June 8th, which was around the organization’s 20th birthday. In Boulogne-Sur-Mer, the day featured a youth flashmob on the beach and other activities.
To see news coverage of the event, click here!
Sharjah Museums Department turtle release
Sharjah, UAE
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As part of two days of festivities organised to mark World Oceans Day, the Sharjah Museums Department will highlight the importance of preserving marine resources in support of the role of local organizations and authorities in spreading public awareness among all community groups. The museum held 2 days of workshops and released the rehabilitated sea turtles into their natural habitat from the Al Khan shore.
From land to sea…
Moorea, French Polynesia
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Te mana o te moana`s Foundation will welcomed 3 classerooms from Moorea at the Sea Turtle Clinic; two from 15 years old and one classeroom of Primary school. After having made a special educational program oriented on animals leaving (make the link…), children took part in a variety of fun and education activities. At the end of their visit, each student was given a Citizen of the ocean passeport and the last educational project : a special Coral reefs books of French overseas territories.
Galway Atlantaquaria
Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland
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A family fun day, featuring face painting and storytelling for the younger children & interactive science experiments with their “Mad scientist” and Arts and Craft competitions for slightly older children. There was also a variety of entertaining and informational talks given, plus stands presented by various local NGOs.
The Halifax Waterfront
Halifax Waterfront, NS, Canada
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The Annual World Oceans Day Activities were held on the Halifax Waterfront at the wharves, featuring interactive and educational exhibits and displays, a touch tank, seafood samples and demonstrations. Raina the Halifax Mermaid was there as well!
Halifax Maritime Museum
Halifax, NS, Canada
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The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Halifax Waterfront celebrated World Oceans Day with free admission and interactive and educational exhibits and demonstrations.
Kid’s Oceans Day
California, USA
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A kid-designed fish and the words “Kelp Us” are formed by 6,300 Los Angeles children, teachers and volunteers as part of the 18th Annual Kids Ocean Day to raise awareness about the need for ocean protection. Children also participated in a beach cleanup at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey.
See a video here
MIMA World Oceans Day Celebration
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The World Oceans Day celebration was held at the National Science Centre, Mont Kiara and was filled with programmes and activities for children, youth and the public such as ocean colouring contest, underwater photography exhibition, science demonstration, marine awareness and career exhibition, ocean illustration demonstration, ocean treasure hunt – among many others. Together with WWF, the youths from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) organised a flash mob which captured the crowd’s attention by forming a human wave undulating across the premises. Wearing blue World Oceans Day shirt and exclaiming, “Save our Seafood” – the youths helped promote the sustainable seafood campaign organised by WWF and the Malaysian Nature Society which started in the 2010 World Oceans Day celebration.
(quote from linked site)
Nightlife @ Cal Academy
California Academy of Science, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Cal Academy held a special World Oceans Day edition of their popular Nightlife event! Guests included the dance troupe Capacitor (performing “Okeanos”) and DJ Jeff.
Taiwan’s World Oceans Day
Taipei, Taiwan
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Taiwan’s marine life experts and nongovernmental organizations called for the protection of sharks and reduced consumption of related products June 8 at a World Oceans Day event organized by the National Taiwan Museum. To raise public awareness, the NTM will screen a series of documentary films through August focusing on sharks and the ocean.
Baby Clownfish Release
Koh Rin, Pattaya, Thailand
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Hotel dusitD2 baraquda pattaya and DiveCafe.net, Nature Explorer Magazine and over 30 volunteered scuba divers released 100 baby clownfish into the water at Koh Rin, Pattaya to celebrate the World Oceans Day 2011. The event aimed to increase the awareness of the importance of the world’s ocean in people’s daily lives by showing people in the community ways to improve their impact on the ocean.
Vietnam Sea & Island Week, World Oceans Day Celebrations
Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
More than 4,000 people attended a meeting in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa on June 5 to commemorate the World Oceans Day (June 8), the World Environment Day (June 5) and the Vietnam Sea and Island Week (June 1-8).
It aimed to raise public awareness of the special importance of oceans, seas and islands to the country’s socio-economic development so that practical measures can be taken to safely explore, protect and use natural resources and cope with rising sea levels caused by climate change.
As part of the event, 1,500 members of the Youth Union held hands to form the shape of the map of Vietnam and three of its large islands including Hoang Sa, Truong Sa and Phu Quoc.
After the meeting, residents of the province gathered at the beaches to collect rubbish and call for more people to join the campaign to protect the environment.
Check out these youtube videos!
- In June 8, 2011, Red Sea Diving Safari celebrated World Ocean Day at Wadi Lahami Village (Egypt). Guests and staff joined together to clean up the beautiful mangrove of Wadi Lahami.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSja2atKQFI
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