Ecoventura launches first 'Green' expedition vessel in the Galapagos

Ecoventura’s M/Y ERIC becomes the first hybrid energy tour boat in the Galapagos following a $100,000 installation of 40 solar panels and two wind turbines on the upper deck. The work that began in October 2008 also included replacing canvas awnings with a hard fiberglass top for structural support.

The goal is for the solar panels and wind powered generators to provide enough power to initially support approximately 17 percent of the energy formerly produced by two carbon fuel-based generators. This project was financed through a partnership with Toyota, a supporter of the World Wildlife Fund. The target goal is to have full fleet implementation by 2011.

“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,” says Santiago Dunn, president and owner of Ecoventura.

“The Galapagos Islands are a fragile and threatened ecosystem. Ecoventura continues to break new ground in responsible tourism in the Galapagos with its new hybrid energy technology. It is the hope that other cruise and tour companies will see the successful results and follow suit,” Dunn says. In summer 2007, UNESCO put the Galapagos on its World Heritage sites risk list, citing alien species and pollution from tourists and immigrants as key issues.

Toyota’s involvement with the Galapagos Islands began in 2001 when the company partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to help conserve the islands’ unique ecosystem. Toyota has since supported and/or funded many projects and programs in the Galapagos Islands.

These include a redesign of the main fuel-handling facility on Baltra, renewable- energy teacher education workshops, oil and municipal recycling programs and the refitting of Ecoventura’s expedition touring yacht, M/Y Eric with solar panels and wind turbines. Community education and outreach have been key components of all projects.

Ecoventura’s Galapagos Commitment
Darwin’s Enchanted Isles are one of the planets most precious and unique ecosystems, home to an extraordinary profusion of exotic, often endemic flora and fauna. Tourism to this remote volcanic archipelago is both part of the solution and also part of the problem.

Humans have unwittingly brought alien species that compete with native plants and animals. The growing number of settlers migrating from the mainland of Ecuador to the islands has put pressure on a fragile environment that imperils the entire ecosystem. As a result in 2007, UNESCO declared Galapagos as a World Heritage Site at risk.

Ecoventura began “greening” its operations and equipment in 1999. It has since pro-actively chosen to help preserve the ecological integrity of the Islands for both its scientific value and economic benefit. Through various conservation projects, our efforts, along with setting an example for other operators, will ensure that this global treasure remains prosperous and thriving with life.

To this end, Ecoventura is:

• One of the first recipients (in 2000) of SmartVoyager, a voluntary environmental program developed by Corporacion y Desarollo from Ecuador and The Rainforest Alliance from New York. This program gives a “green seal of approval” to tour boats that comply with requirements to tread lightly on the area’s fragile ecosystem.
• The first (in 2006) Carbon Neutral operation in the Galapagos Islands when it chose to completely offset carbon emissions from the company’s four yachts, offices and operations (including business travel). Emissions are now being offset through a portfolio of projects administered by NativeEnergy.

Ecoventura partnered with the WWF to create the Galapagos Marine Biodiversity Fund (GMBF) which targets environmental education and marine conservation by strengthening the local communities’ ability to manage natural resources. It has pledged to collect through client donations and its own infusions, $80,000 per year over the next three years, The GMBF puts donated funds to work, addressing critical issues, reversing ecological damage and conserving Galapagos for the future.

Through these various initiatives spearheaded by Ecoventura’s President, Santiago Dunn, the company has become the pacesetter in responsible tourism to the Galapagos Islands. Through its core commitment to the ongoing sustainability of this fragile and at-threat ecosystem, Ecoventura has invested upwards of $500,000 to refurbish its fleet of yachts to meet its own stringent ecology-minded standards.

“We want to give our passengers the assurance that Ecoventura has taken every measure to ensure that passengers enjoy a safe, thrilling adventure without harming the unique wildlife or the fragile environment. We all live in this world and breath the same air, the very least we can do is try to preserve it for our children and the generations to come,” says Dunn.

Ten ways in which Ecoventura supports conservation in Galapagos

1. Keeping tour groups to 10 people or less per guide, reducing potential environmental impacts and wildlife harassment.
2. Hiring naturalist guides to help monitor and enforce park regulations
3. Managing water and solid waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
4. Maintaining the environmental certification SmartVoyager since 2000.
5. Supporting locally managed projects that address conservation threats in the Marine Reserve.
6. Supporting projects and hiring local people in sustainable tourism, reducing their dependency on over fishing and other extractive activities
7. Providing scholarships to local children to study conservation education at the elementary, high school and college levels.
8. Giving clients a reliable means of donating to local conservation projects
9. Reduce fuel consumption by installation of high performance oil filters.
10. Offsetting the carbon emissions of all tour boats and sales offices.