University of Victoria

Purpose

To contribute to the improvement of Canada’s search and rescue system, this project will first educate the public about rip current hazards and how to avoid them, and second, provide science‑based information on local rip current characteristics related to environmental conditions, as well as make local environmental data available in real time. Although the activities will take place in Tofino, British Columbia, the results will be released on social media, thereby making them accessible to all Canadians. The University of Victoria will achieve the project objectives by obtaining the necessary permits, carrying out and filming dye‑release experiments by drone off the west coast of Vancouver Island, analyzing the data, and disseminating the findings to the public through videos on social media and at visitor centres.