Update: As of April 22, 2019, Green Tourism Canada is now Sustainable Tourism.
Orca Spirit Adventures embodies the spirit of Green Tourism Canada – taking nothing but photographs and leaving nothing but waves. Since starting up almost 20 years ago as the first covered-vessel whale watching company in Victoria, Orca Spirit Adventures have been committed to not only minimizing their own environmental footprint, but also to using their position in the Vancouver Island community to encourage others to do the same.
From day one, Orca Spirit Adventures built their business around their responsibility to be stewards of the environment and their duty to educate their guests about the natural habitat. As a Certified Gold Green Tourism Canada operator, Orca Spirit Adventures have undergone a Green Tourism Canada assessment and received the Gold certification as recognition for their meticulous and thorough sustainability efforts.
Some of Orca Spirit Adventures notable achievements include:
- Purchasing carbon offsets to become a carbon neutral tour operator
- Instituting a ‘Go Green’ Management Plan that has led to better resource consumption monitoring and improved purchasing practices
- Working towards eliminating bottled water consumption by:
- eliminating sales in both office locations
- encouraging guests to purchase/bring an alternative, re-useable option
- finding solutions for remaining consumption which is mainly for seasickness and emergency preparedness on board Orca Spirit vessels (in progress)
- Donating over $50,000 to the Pacific Salmon Foundation since 2015
- Partnering with Oughtred Coffee and Tea to recycle coffee packaging and supply guests with compostable coffee cups and lids
- Participating in the annual Earth Day Power Hour beach cleanup, removing plastics and other non-biodegradable materials from the shoreline
- Fostering a culture of sustainability and encouraging their staff and patrons to do their part
Orca Spirit Adventures demonstrates that going green doesn’t have to trade off with running a successful business, contributing to the community, or keeping guests and clients happy!
Check out their website here: https://orcaspirit.com/