Basically, we care about our impact, and seek to minimize our footprint as much as possible. Here are just a few ways that we try to make a positive difference for our ocean environment:
- We’ve taken the principles of “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle”, and have eliminated single-use, plastic water bottles from our tours. Plastics are one of the most common polluters of our ocean environment, and can persist in the environment for thousands of years. Instead, we use stainless steel, reusable water bottles to provide water for our guests.
- We always stop to pick up trash or marine debris when we’re out on the water.
- All of our instructors and guides are Certified Marine Naturalists, and attend annual cultural, marine ecology, and humpback whale trainings.
- Before each tour, our instructors conduct “mini beach cleanups” in the area where our tours take place.
- We provide reef safe, biodegradable sunscreen for purchase on all of our tours.
- Education is a big part of what we do, and we make sure that guests leave each tour with a better understanding of Maui’s unique ocean environment and cultural heritage.
- We embrace the motto of “taking only pictures and leaving only bubbles”. We therefore follow all state and federal wildlife viewing guidelines and approach limits, and you’ll never see our guides handling marine life (like urchins or octopus).
To learn more, visit hawaiiecotourism.org