This event was rescheduled.  

After years working aboard the R/V Searcher, Captain Gillian started noticing a gap between applied education, research collaboration, and an understanding of the natural world that binds humankind.  Gillian knew the Searcher was more than a research vessel.  It was a platform. A classroom. And with that vision, the 501c3 non-profit, Ocean Conscious was born.

Ocean Conscious is a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting people with the ocean through real-world, on-the-water experiences. From elementary school explorers to university researchers, the program offers opportunities to work alongside scientists, learn in an immersive environment, and grow a personal relationship with the sea.

Whether you're local to Hawai'i or joining from across the world, every person who steps aboard the Searcher becomes part of a shared story. Through one drop of water, we are all uniquely united.

The non-profit strives to open doors for students, launch educational programming for the public, and share the journey of a community reconnecting with the water that connects us all.

Captain Gillian "Gillyfish" Wysock, RV Searcher Owner came to Hawal'I island from the US mainland to study Marine Science at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, with roots in tropical conservation biology and chemistry.  After a short time, the Big Island became home, and the ocean became her classroom.  She credits her time spent at the Woods Hole Sea Education Association program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, home to some of the world’s leading institutes in oceanography,  with helping her find her passion and changing the trajectory of her career.   

Wysock returned to Hawai'i, earned her captain's license, and purchased the RV Searcher, the vessel she had lived and studied on for over a decade as part of the Medical Foundation for the Study of the Environment.

The company’s platform has supported a wide range of projects with partners including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the University of Hawai‘i, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the BBC, The Nature Conservancy, and the Ocean Futures Society.

This event is limited to 15 registrations.  Please join the waiting list if the website is no longer accepting registrations and we will contact you when we receive cancellations. 

PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE THE SEARCHER IS A WORKING VESSEL, THIS EVENT MAY BE RESCHEDULED IF THE BOAT IS NOT IN THE HARBOR ON THE DAY OF THE TOUR.  WE APPRECIATE YOUR FLEXIBILITY. 

FAQ

Where can I park?
Parking available in the area.  

Will any meals be served?
No.  

Will we go out to sea?
No, the boat will not leave the harbor.