Whale Watch Azores - the holiday that makes a difference

We first tried to identify the major environmental impacts of our tours and came up with the following list:

possible effects on the cetaceans due to our presence
rubbish created by extra visitors to the islands
pollution caused by burning of fuel by the boat, aircraft and taxis involved in tours
extra imports to the islands caused by the demands of running the tours
contribution to reduction in water table of the islands
pollution of marinas and ports from waste
influences on the local culture
wear and tear of footpaths around wildlife habitat ashore

We then tried to come up with an environmental policy statement that showed our commitment to eliminating or reducing to a minimum, the effects of the above.

How Have We Done So Far?

We feel that over the years we have become more adept at operating our yacht in a way that disturbs the animals as little as possible. There are now regulations in place that control the industry and we were strongly involved in the drafting of these regulations. We have taken local school children out for free trips to see the cetaceans and we aim to give an exhibition of the photos we have taken over the years, at the Semana do Mar festival in 2000. We have also given all our groups plus quite a few visiting sailors slide presentations on the research work we are doing. The summer is the worst time for getting accommodation in the Azores as demand often outstrips availability so we still provide accommodation on board Colomban to ease this problem. We buy as much fresh food as we can from the local shops and the market, rather than the hyper-market. We recycle our paper in the office and on board we try not to use heavily packaged foods and equipment. We explain the way our tours run to our guests so they do not use too much water. They are also sent tips on being an environmentally friendly traveller and a copy of our environmental policy, before they arrive. Each year we try to do something new to help meet our aims. For 2000 we are doing the photographic exhibition and we aim to take more children out for free trips to see the whales and dolphins. These are in addition to initiating the set up of the Azores hydrophone network (see Spring 2000 newsletter).

The Whale Watch Azores Environmental Policy Statement

We are committed to the following policies:

1. Using methods of interacting with cetaceans that do not significantly affect or in any way harass the animals

2. The introduction and implementation of whale and dolphin watching regulations in the Azores which will protect the cetaceans and their habitat

3. Assisting in the education of the Azorean people and visitors to the islands in relation to the cetaceans and the environment of the islands

4. Not adding to the accommodation problems of the islands.

5. Buying local produce whenever possible.

6. Recycling wherever possible.

7. Cutting down on paper use wherever possible

8. Communicating our environmental policies to our employees and guests

9. Regularly assessing our environmental performance and improving our environmental policy.