A year of ship support around the coast

In 2025, Achiever again proved its strength as a nimble and efficient research and conservation support ship, spending significant operating time in the Great Bear Rainforest. Our crew provided guide and mothership assets to a science conservation film project focused on the interrelationship between coastal wolves and Pacific herring during the spring herring spawn. Late spring was spent in the shipyard, focused on maintenance and general repairs, before heading to the Southern Gulf Islands for youth and training trips, community outreach, and engagement activities in both Victoria and Vancouver. July brought our return to the central coast for annual Indigenous youth trips in both Haíɫzaqv and Kitasoo Xai’xais territories.

August marked the commencement of a new pilot project in the Johnstone – Broughton areas with our cetacean team, focused on killer whale communication. One of the most dynamic research projects onboard Achiever to date involved towing a hydrophone to record underwater noise while simultaneously collecting aerial footage with our drone.

September saw Achiever back into the central coast to focus on grizzly bears and coastal wolves. During October, Achiever relocated to the Southern Gulf Islands in support of the Salish Sea Emerging Stewards program and its new pilot project, the Land Healing Stewards Initiative.

Looking ahead, our marine operations team is focused on the feasibility and planning of repowering Achiever with the objective of turning it into the first hybrid electric research ship on the coast. Achiever and crew will be back on the water in the spring once again to support our research and education teams as they build upon a successful year of pilot projects becoming new staples amongst our ship operations.