Green Expedition Vessel Launched in Galapagos

Hybrid Energy Powered Tour Boat Placed into Operation by Ecoventura

Jan 8, 2009

Ecoventura has introduced the first green tour boat to be placed into service in the Galapagos, an environmentally sensitive World Heritage Site.

One marine tour operator in the Galapagos is at the forefront in implementing best practices for green boating in the region. Ecoventura operates three tour vessels within this World Heritage Site. The company’s stated mission is that they are dedicated to preserving both the scientific and economic significance of the Galapagos.

Among its environmental efforts, Ecoventura was certified under the SmartVoyager Program developed by Ecuador’s Corporacion y Desarollo and New York’s Rainforest Alliance, became carbon neutral in its operations during 2006, and partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to establish the Galapagos Marine Biodiversity Fund (GMBF) that supports environmental education and marine conservation efforts.

In an announcement of this initiative, Ecoventura President Santiago Dunn explains, "We want to give our passengers the assurance that Ecoventura has taken every measure to ensure that they enjoy a safe, thrilling adventure without harming the unique wildlife or the fragile environment of the Islands. We all live in this world and breath the same air; the least we can do is try to preserve it for our children and the generations to come.”

Conservation Practices Used by Ecoventura in the Galapagos

Ecoventura advocates the use of a number of environmental best practices as a tourism operator in the Galapagos. These practices can easily be adopted by other related businesses found worldwide.

The Motor Vessel (M/V) Eric was retrofitted with an installation of 40 solar electric panels and wind generator turbines valued at $100,000. This work transformed the vessel into the first hybrid energy tour boat operating in the Galapagos. A project goal was to replace at least seventeen percent of the power required by the vessel normally provided by diesel-powered generators. The work on the M/V Eric was funded in part by Toyota because of its ongoing support of the World Wildlife Fund.

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008

Ecoventura won the award for Best in a Marine Environment category with the 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards Program. Efforts by Ecoventura to provide local scholarships, promote women owned micro-businesses, and bring outside environmental auditors to inspect vessels supported the company’s standing for the award. Responsible Tourism Awards represent the partnership of the World Travel Market, The Daily Telegraph, Geographical Magazine, BBC World News, and Responsible Travel Directory to recognize best practices being fostered within the tourism industry. More can be learned about the awards at the organization’s website.

It is encouraging to see progressive efforts being made to protect the marine environment by companies like Ecoventura. Natural resource conservation not only protects the marine ecology, but ensures the resources remain to support the local economy going into the future.

The copyright of the article Green Expedition Vessel Launched in Galapagos in Green/Clean Boating is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Green Expedition Vessel Launched in Galapagos in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.