Engaging communities in ocean conservation initiatives is more important than ever before. The Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) provides an effective avenue for marine science education with impact. Through its focus of marine mammal rescue, education, and research, ORRCA allows members to engage in direct, meaningful action towards conserving marine life. ORRCA volunteers are trained in marine mammal incident response and best practice rescue protocols, allowing them to respond to incidents in their local areas. In 2025, ORRCA responded to 900 incidents, exposing volunteers to current concerns in the ocean sphere. Citizen science research, like the East Coast Migration Project, allow members to actively engage in data collection whilst helping increase broader public awareness of the annual humpback whale migration and marine life. We highlight the ways in which ORRCA’s training and member engagement initiatives provide an effective avenue for increasing ocean literacy through both direct (rescues and education) and indirect (research and outreach) action. By developing a trained network of marine mammal rescue and response volunteers, ORRCA fosters strong community engagement in ocean conservation efforts which directly facilitates improved marine mammal welfare outcomes and increased ocean literacy across a wide audience.