Saltwater Projects is a not-for-profit collective of artists, mariners, scientists and Traditional Owners. When we began building Pelican1 in 1998, climate change already felt urgent — a seemingly crazy project by artists to build a boat and share ocean issues and beauty with the broader community seemed, to us, a really good idea.
Engagement with science and Indigenous Culture are our core themes. We work with First Nations people, connecting to Sea Country, acting as a platform for collaborative, inter-disciplinary projects with social justice as core ethic.
Port Phillip and Western Port are part of the cultural heritage of the Kulin people. They support Ramsar-listed wetlands and a range of animals and plants. Between 2006 and 2021 we built the first continuous dataset across both bays, in partnership with Traditional Owners and coastal schools.
Enter the Two Bays archive →
Traditional Ecological Knowledge incorporates wisdom and holistic values, raising opportunities to consider the long-term costs and benefits of actions affecting the environment. Every Ocean Literacy principle can be worked with Indigenous perspective embedded.
Every pin is a sustained collaboration — most are voyages we've returned to across years or decades, with the Traditional Owners of those waters.
Ocean Networks Canada hosted IPMEN at the University of Victoria. We acknowledge the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the campus stands.
Two Bays and the Hope Vale / Pelican project appear in UNESCO-IOC's report on Ocean Literacy. A shared moment.
The Elster Creek catchment is about 40 km². Most is concreted. We've installed a hydrophone at Monash Bridge, listening for creek critters.
Full-day and multi-day voyages for primary and secondary schools. Curriculum co-designed with your learning outcomes.
Educators → Path 02Researcher-in-residence and institutional partnerships. Pelican1 is a platform — we welcome proposals.
Institutions → Path 03We welcome volunteers for maintenance, film, sound, cooking, cleaning, and sailing. No experience necessary.
Crew →
