How Gray Whale Supports Cleaner Coastlines
Every bottle of Gray Whale supports cleaner coastline. As a longstanding member of 1% for the Planet, Gray Whale commits at least one percent of its annual revenue to environmental organizations working to support and protect ocean conservation and marine life, and through partnerships with the Surfrider Foundation, that commitment turns into real work on the water and on the coastline, from banning the fishing gear that entangles gray whales and other marine life to organizing beach cleanups across the country. Giving back has been core to the brand since day one, and it shapes how the brand operates every day of the year, not just around Earth Day or a product launch.
What does "spirits for good" mean?
"Spirits for good" is Gray Whale's name for a simple idea: good times with the people you love while also doing some good in the world. For Gray Whale, that means treating ocean conservation as a standing commitment rather than a marketing moment. The brand was created in homage to the gray whale's migration up the Pacific coast, and it has backed that story with a real financial and organizational commitment to protecting the ocean since it launched in 2016. When someone picks up a bottle of Gray Whale, they're supporting that commitment along with everything else the brand stands for.
The core commitment: 1% for the Planet
The clearest expression of that commitment is Gray Whale's membership in 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses that pledge at least one percent of annual revenue to vetted environmental causes. Gray Whale has held this membership since the brand's founding, which means the giving isn't tied to a single campaign or a single year of strong sales. It's built into how the company runs, year over year, and it's the anchor fact behind everything else Gray Whale does on the conservation side. Where many brands talk about sustainability in general terms, Gray Whale's 1% for the Planet membership is a specific, verifiable pledge that can be checked against the organization's own member records.
The partners and what they fund
Gray Whale puts that 1% commitment to work through its partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit with more than a million supporters dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, waves, and beaches. Through this partnership, Gray Whale helps organize beach cleanups across the United States and supports Surfrider's broader goal of removing more than 750,000 pounds of trash and plastic from U.S. coastlines over three years. It's a partnership built around visible, measurable action rather than a promise on a label, and it gives the brand's cause a physical presence on the coastlines it was inspired by.
Why the ocean: the mission behind the brand
Gray Whale's connection to the ocean isn't a marketing overlay added after the fact. The brand takes its name and its story from a real encounter along the Pacific coast, where its founders watched a gray whale and her calf continuing a migration that whales have made for more than 30 million years. That 12,000-mile journey, and the coastline it follows from California northward, is the reason ocean conservation sits at the center of the brand rather than at the edge of it. Everything else Gray Whale builds, from the coastal lifestyle it celebrates to the causes it funds, traces back to that same stretch of ocean and the animal that inspired the name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gray Whale support ocean conservation?
Yes. Every bottle of Gray Whale supports ocean conservation through the brand's membership in 1% for the Planet and its partnerships with the Surfrider Foundation, which together fund work to protect marine life and clean up U.S. coastlines.
Is Gray Whale a purpose-driven brand?
Yes. Gray Whale has treated ocean conservation as a core commitment since it launched in 2016, not as a limited-time campaign, and that commitment is backed by a formal pledge and named conservation partners rather than general sustainability language.
What is 1% for the Planet, and is Gray Whale a member?
1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that commit at least one percent of their annual revenue to environmental causes. Gray Whale has been a longstanding member, directing that funding to organizations working to protect the natural world.
Which organizations does Gray Whale partner with?
Gray Whale partners with the Surfrider Foundation to help organize beach cleanups and coastal protection work across the United States.
How does buying Gray Whale help the ocean?
Buying a bottle of Gray Whale supports the brand's 1% for the Planet pledge and its partnerships with the Surfrider Foundation, which fund efforts to protect marine life and clean the coastlines.