Surfrider Foundation

Happy 🌎 Day! Our beautiful Earth is mostly ocean. 🌊 The ocean gives us life—providing the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, and the waves we love to enjoy. This Earth Day, let's give back to our wonderful planet by joining Surfrider and becoming a Friend of the Ocean. Our planet needs our help to fight threats like offshore oil drilling, water pollution, and single-use plastics. This is your moment to make a real impact—so future generations can enjoy clean water and healthy beaches. Be a friend. Join Surfrider. 💙 mygiving.surfrider.org/-/XUFRAJJT 🎥: @morganmaassen #TheOceanNeedsMoreFriends #EarthDay2026 #EarthDay

Have you entered the Flow Photo Contest yet? This contest celebrates creators and photographers of all levels from all over the world. 📸🌎 With up to $50,000 in cash prizes on the line, there’s never been a better reason to share your perspective. Be sure to enter before the contest ends on April 24 at 11:59 PM EST The contest is judged by a panel of world-class talent and raises funds for nonprofits, including the Surfrider Foundation. 🌊 Swipe through to check out some of the entries from last year! Photography has the power to bring people together — we’re here for it. 🤝 To enter, visit: flow.life/en/photo-conte… Photo Credit: Photo 1 Michele du Plooy, Photo 2 Nolan Omura, Photo 3 Sarah Teng, Photo 4 Cory Blancato, Photo 5 Owen Jackson, Photo 6 Federico Sorrentino, Photo 7 Claudia Rosel, Photo 8 Michele du Plooy

Did you know that Earth Day was born from an oil spill? 🌎 In January 1969, a blowout on a Union Oil platform six miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, released an estimated 3.4 to 4.2 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, killing wildlife and devastating coastal communities. That catastrophe became the catalyst for a global movement, sparking the very first Earth Day in 1970. Surfrider has been on the frontlines of this fight since 1984. We’ve stopped new offshore drilling before, and we’re ready to do it again. But we need you with us. Visit mygiving.surfrider.org/-/XUFRAJJT to make a donation in honor of Earth Day and help us protect our ocean, waves, and beaches for future generations. 🌊 #EarthDay #EarthDay2026 #ProtectOurCoast #DrillingisKilling

“I think it’s important to reinforce the idea that you don’t have to be a certain kind of person to get involved. A lot of people think they need to be a surfer or an experienced environmental activist to join the community. I know with Blue Water Task Force, people are surprised to learn they don’t need any prior experience or education to be a part of the program. In reality, anyone who shares our love for the oceans has a place in our community.” - Rachel Weinstein is the Program Lead for the San Diego Chapter’s Blue Water Task Force (@SurfriderSD ). 🌊🔬Through weekly beach water quality testing, classroom education, and supporting university research, Rachel is working to protect San Diego’s coastlines and inspiring the next generation of ocean advocates along the way. Read her spotlight: hubs.la/Q04c9cJw0 #SurfriderActivistSpotlight

The only blue that heals 💙 📸 @MorganMaassen

Feel those good vibrations! @TheBeachBoys are giving away a California Dreamin' weekend to support @Surfrider!🏖️ Donate now to help protect the world's ocean, waves, and beaches for your chance to win flights, a 3-night stay at the Surfrider Hotel in Malibu, private studio tour, exclusive Beach Boys listening session, custom surfboard + lessons, convertible car rental, two VIP passes to the Beach Boys 5k & Wellness Day in Santa Monica on May 16, and more. As a bonus, donate $100 and you’ll receive a Pet Sounds hat, or donate $250+ to receive a Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights 2LP vinyl set. Donate to win at: fandiem.com/thebeachboys

POV: You’re the reason people know it’s safe to swim 🌊🧪 Follow along as Rachel Weinstein, Surfrider San Diego’s Blue Water Task Force lead, takes us behind the scenes for a day in the life of testing water quality at her local beach! Want to get involved? Whether you join your local chapter as a Blue Water Task Force volunteer or make a donation to expand our testing network, you're protecting clean water for everyone who loves the coast. Join the movement: hubs.la/Q049gQpp0

Dive into EP. 09 of #TheSurfriderPodcast for an in depth conversation with Surfing Legend Rob Machado 🎙️🌊 In this episode, @Rob_Machado shares about his deep family roots in Southern California and traces his personal journey as an ocean advocate — from taking water samples for Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force as a high school student in Cardiff to founding the Rob Machado Foundation, which has installed water refill stations across San Diego County schools and eliminated millions of single-use plastic bottles. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms. Listen to the full episode: hubs.la/Q03n6FCH0

The Spring ’26 Collection is here just in time for longer days, golden hours, and warmer weather ahead. 🌞🌴 Essential tees, cozy long sleeves, and vintage-inspired headwear made for wherever the coast takes you next — and 100% of every purchase goes toward protecting it. Shop now: hubs.ly/Q047p58n0 #WearYourSupport

The data collected by our volunteers helps protect safe recreation at the beach and in our coastal waterways year-round. Whether you enjoy surfing, swimming, snorkeling, paddling, or any other ocean activity—a day in the water shouldn’t make you or your family sick. So how does the Blue Water Task Force work? Visit hubs.la/Q049gQpp0 to get involved today!

This Is What Protecting Clean Water Looks Like 💪🌊 Clean water shouldn’t be seasonal. In many parts of the country, state and local agencies only test beach water during the summer months. That’s where Surfrider steps in—our Blue Water Task Force is the nation’s largest volunteer beach water testing program. 🧪

🌊 Ocean Friendly Hotel Spotlight: Hotel Moraine in Greenport, New York 🌊 Perched above the Long Island Sound on the North Fork of Long Island, Hotel Moraine’s slogan, “Where the Land Meets the Sea,” reflects the connection between the water and the North Fork’s agricultural landscape. With sweeping water views, Hotel Moraine recognizes a responsibility to help protect the coastal ecosystem we depend on. Here are a few ways Hotel Moraine is keeping it #OceanFriendly: 🚫 Eliminating polystyrene and minimizing single-use plastics ♻️ Using reusable serviceware and sustainable packaging 🤝 Partnering with environmentally conscious vendors 🌿 Reducing waste through thoughtful sourcing Read the full spotlight: hubs.la/Q049X9Ww0 #OceanFriendlyHotel #OceanFriendlyHotelSpotlight

Have you tuned into EP. 09 of #TheSurfriderPodcast yet? 🎙️🌊 Style, Soul, & Stewardship: A Conversation with Surfing Legend @Rob_Machado 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms. Start listening: hubs.la/Q03n6FCH0

Blue Water Task Force → Testing the Water, Protecting Our Beaches 🌊🧪 Clean water is essential for healthy beaches. It allows us to safely swim, surf, and play with family and friends at the coast. But pollution, sewage spills, stormwater runoff, and failing wastewater infrastructure are putting our ocean—and our health—at risk. For 36 years, Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force program has kept Americans informed about water quality at their local beach. With 10,000+ samples collected at more than 600 sites annually, it has since become the largest volunteer-run beach water testing program in the country! 👏 Learn more and get involved today: hubs.la/Q049gQpp0 #BlueWaterTaskForce

Victory! 👏 Florida Passes Landmark Coastal Resilience Law 🌱🌊 Learn more: hubs.la/Q049t9yB0 📸: Elsa Portanyi, Vice Chair of Surfrider’s Florida Keys chapter

Standing up for Bahia de Aguadilla at Puerto Rico Coastal Recreation Hill Day 🌊 Surfrider Puerto Rico led local students, community leaders, and environmental organizations at Puerto Rico Coastal Recreation Hill Day to advocate for the protection of Bahia de Aguadilla and coastal ecosystems across Puerto Rico. Together, they met with legislators to support protections for coral reefs, mangroves, and other coastal habitats. We’re grateful to stand alongside our student clubs, the Coalition for the Restoration of Santurcean Ecosystems (CRES), and the dedicated volunteer leaders working to protect our coasts for future generations. 📸: Sea Grant Puerto Rico

Breaking News 🚨 Trump Admin Moves To Exempt Gulf of Mexico Offshore Drilling from Endangered Species Act On Tuesday, a committee of senior Trump administration officials voted to exempt the Gulf of ​Mexico oil and gas industry from Endangered Species Act protections for whales, birds, and sea turtles. This decision, the first ‌of its kind in more than three decades, is the latest effort by President Donald Trump's government to unwind our nation’s environmental laws. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed that exempting the oil and gas industry from federal law is critical to our national security. However, the U.S. is currently the number one producer of oil and gas in the world and has been a net oil exporter since 2020. Further, new offshore drilling will not lower the price at the pump, as gas prices are set by global markets and driven by geopolitical factors such as the war with Iran. The administration’s reckless action will pave the way for even more oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and further damage marine ecosystems, Gulf communities, and our climate. The move will also push endangered species such as the Rice’s whale, sperm whale, green sea turtle, and giant manta ray towards extinction. The Rice’s whale is one of the rarest animals in the world and scientists estimate that there are only about 50 individuals remaining. The Surfrider Foundation has joined 65 other organizations in urging Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oppose this radical action and has requested prompt disclosure of all relevant documents required by law. Surfrider will also continue our fight to protect the Gulf, California, and other U.S. regions from any new offshore oil and gas drilling. Want to join the fight against new offshore oil drilling? The Trump administration will soon open a FINAL comment period on leasing 1.27 billion acres of U.S. waters for new offshore drilling. Surfrider will have an action alert ready so you can make your voice heard when it matters most. Stay tuned for the latest developments! 👏 hubs.la/Q043r5Zv0 Photo credit: NOAA/ NEFSC

EP. 09 of #TheSurfriderPodcast Is Now Live! 🎙️🌊 Style, Soul, & Stewardship: A Conversation with Surfing Legend @Rob_Machado 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms. Start listening: hubs.la/Q03n6FCH0