Carbon neutral whale watching

One of our readers commented that education was the way forward in encouraging people to take positive action.

Eagle Wing Tours has education and environmental stewardship at the forefront of its Vancouver island whale watching holidays; believing that if you educate and excite guests with passion and knowledge about the environment; that knowledge will pass around the world. They are committed to educating not only their guests, but also supporting research and local educational programs.

Tour operators tend to get a tough time from the ‘green’ brigade because of the huge carbon footprints accumulated through air travel. We’re told to ‘staycation’, but what if you want to learn about something you’ve never experienced before in order to make more conscious choices in the future? How do you find a reputable company to ensure your vacation is a responsible one?

Eagle Wing Tours is the world’s first carbon neutral whale watching company based in Victoria BC. The marine adventure eco-tourism company is locally owned and family run.

They have a guaranteed whale sighting programme which includes Killer whales (orca) Humpback whales, Gray whales, and Minke whales!

The company are committed to fighting climate change and are dedicated to customers who demand eco-responsibility and a premium experience. Here are some of the eco friendly things Eagle Wing Tours are doing:

• Offsetting 100% of their corporate emissions
• Participating in salmon enhancement projects, to help sustain food for killer whales and other marine animals.
• Participating in stream rehabilitation programs.
• Educating guests with passion & knowledge about the environment.
• Sponsoring local marine research programs
• Adopting killer whales, supporting non-profit efforts to educate private boaters.
• Boats are powered by no oil burn, very quiet, very efficient on fuel engines.

Eagle Wing Tours say “We all know that minimizing impact isn’t enough. The natural world has massive demands placed upon it every day and at Eagle Wing we believe that being a responsible steward means not just being quiet observers but active, positive contributors to the ecosystem we love and are able to make our living from.”

They are the 1st company to self-implement a comprehensive environmental program (Go Green) that includes a plan to eliminate their carbon footprint by 100%. By hiring Dcarbon8, a professional certified third party company to perform an in depth ‘carbon audit’ of their company, Eagle Wing Tours have their carbon footprint evaluated every year which is then offset with financial investments in new technologies.

This diagram from their website illustrates perfectly how carbon offsets work:

What about you – Have you ever been to Victoria BC, whale watching?. What are your tips for a green and eco vacation if you really want to go and experience something across the world?