Our Results
The Crew moved oceans this year.
Six chapters across four continents. Hundreds of volunteers. A single mission. Every figure on this page is real, sourced directly from chapter field reports.
released safely
sea turtles
released safely back to the sea
trash pulled
kg
trash pulled from coast & sea
turtle
nests
turtle + plover nests protected
chapters
Active worldwide
+ events
Field actions, 2022—25
cleanups
Land + underwater
km
Coastline patrolled
+ marchers
Auckland March for Nature
Moments In The Field
Four years. Six chapters. One ocean.
Three years of nest patrols and surf-line releases on the Italian coast, Tuscany and Campania, with a parallel program for the Kentish plover.
The Crew did not begin with a press release. It began with a single underwater cleanup at Lake Garda in 2022, six hundred kilograms of plastic, glass and tangled mixed waste, pulled from the lakebed by a handful of divers who refused to keep swimming past it.
Four years later the Crew is six chapters strong. Auckland marched twenty thousand deep. Germany scaled from eleven cleanups to forty-one in a single year. Italy released a thousand turtles in 2025 alone. We are publishing this report now, before the 2026 season, so anyone who shows up next can see exactly what the floor looks like.
Our FOUNDER
Captain Paul Watson
50+ Years of Direct Action
Cleanup Operations
75,000+ kg. Pulled by hand.
Plastic, glass and mixed waste collected across 69 cleanup operations — beaches, lakes and the seafloor. Italy began first; Germany scaled fastest. By 2025, Germany was running forty-one cleanups in a single year.
Beach + Underwater
2024–25
2022–25
Lake Garda
Chapter By Chapter
Every coast has a captain.
01 / CHAPTER
Italy
🇮🇹
1,980 turtles released. 5,000 kg pulled. 4 years on the coast.
From Tuscany’s nest patrols to Naples’ underwater interventions, Italy ran the most field-hours of any chapter, across 11 cleanups, three turtle seasons, and a standing presence at the Gaiola Underwater Park.
1,980
Sea turtles released
225
Sea turtle nests
11
Cleanup operations
≈ 750 km
Coastline monitored
Spotlight
“10 days of presence at Gaiola Underwater Park, including the interception of 2 illegal fishing boats.”
02 / CHAPTER
Germany
🇩🇪
5,129.5 kg collected. 75 events. Two ship tours of the John Paul DeJoria.
Germany is the cleanup engine of the Crew, scaling from 11 cleanups in 2024 to 41 in 2025, alongside two big Berlin demonstrations for Paul Watson’s release and field research for Operation Silent Current.
5,129.5 kg
Total trash collected
52
Cleanups
75
Public events
4,320.8 kg
Largest single year
Spotlight
“Two big Berlin demonstrations rallied for Paul Watson’s release; campaign research underway for Operation Silent Current.”
03 / CHAPTER
Aotearoa New Zealand
🇳🇿
20,000+ marched in Auckland. 16 NGOs at one table.
The largest single mobilization in chapter history. NZ also led on coalition-building, convening sixteen marine conservation groups and ten politicians at the Marine Policy Forum.
20,000+
March attendees
16
Conservation groups
10
Politicians at the table
5
Festival appearances
Spotlight
“Auckland March for Nature drew over 20,000 people — the largest environmental march in a decade.”
04 / CHAPTER
San Francisco
🇺🇸
44 events, 5 cleanups, four years of consistent show-up.
From a single event in 2022 to 23 in 2025, the SF chapter has built a steady drumbeat of public presence and beach action across the Bay Area.
44
Public events (2022—25)
5
Beach cleanups
23
Events in 2025
23×
Year-over-year growth
Spotlight
“From 1 event in 2022 to 23 in 2025 — a 23× growth curve in four years.”
05 / CHAPTER
Illinois & Chicago
🇺🇸
Lake cleanups, university partnerships, and a Zoom with the Captain himself.
The first Midwest chapter is proving that ocean work isn’t only coastal, Roosevelt University booths, an Arlington Heights book sale, and a town-hall with Captain Watson on Zoom.
1
Beach cleanup
8
Trash bags collected
8
Roosevelt Univ. events
1
Captain Watson Zoom
Spotlight
“December 3, 2025: CPWF Chicago + Roosevelt University hosted a Zoom event with Captain Paul Watson himself.”
06 / CHAPTER
Costa Rica
🇨🇷
Standing up. Year one is on the calendar.
Costa Rica is the newest chapter in the Crew. Initial activities are being staged, coastline access, partner orgs, and a 2026 turtle program in early planning.
Forming
Status
2025
Year established
Pacific coast
Region
2026
First field season
Spotlight
“Year one of standing up — partnership and program scaffolding underway for 2026.”
The Long Tide
Four years. One rising line.
Each year, the Crew grew louder, faster, and more organized. The line is going up. It will keep going up.
2022
The Long Tide
Foundations
- Italy · Lake Garda underwater cleanup · 600 kg pulled
- Italy · 1 conference at diving schools
- San Francisco · Chapter founded · 1st public event
- Germany · Ship-tour outreach on the JPD begins
2023
700 turtles released
Wildlife Scales Up
- Italy · 700 sea turtles released · 31 nests located
- Italy · 150 km of coastline monitored
- Italy · 2 cleanups · 1,000 kg collected
- Germany · 2 ship tours of the John Paul DeJoria
- San Francisco · 6 events + first beach cleanup
2024
Public mobilization
The Crowds Arrive.
- Italy · 80 nests · 280 turtles · 5 cleanups · 2,800 kg
- Italy · 5 demonstrations for Paul Watson's release
- Germany · 11 cleanups · 808.7 kg · big Berlin demos
- Aotearoa · Marine Policy Forum convened
- San Francisco · 14 events · 1 beach clean
2025
Direct action
The Loudest Year Yet.
- Italy · 114 nests · ≈1,000 turtles · 2 illegal boats intercepted
- Germany · 41 cleanups · 4,320.8 kg · Operation Silent Current
- Aotearoa · Auckland March for Nature · 20,000+ marchers
- San Francisco · 23 events · 3 beach cleans
- Illinois · Chapter launched · Zoom w/ Captain Watson
Next Year, More.
We are not slowing down. Are you with us?
3,000 turtles. 15 tons. Two new chapters. The 2026 plan is bigger than 2025 — and it only works if the Crew grows.