Ningaloo Reef manta ray tours, Western Australia
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
All waste is collected on board and disposed of correctly. All containers are re-used where practicable and nothing disposable is used. Our vessels use minimal energy. Our environmental policy is given to all passengers and crew tell passengers of the harm littering can cause. We do not use plastic bags in our shop. All passengers are informed of the various conservation projects relevant to the fauna they are interacting with.
We pay fees to the Department of Environment and Conservation for Whale Sharks and Coral Viewing tours and we are actively involved in a Manta Ray identification program. When passengers’ book and we send them an e-ticket, our Environmental Policy is included in this. All correspondence contains a link to our Environmental Policy on line. Most of our correspondence is electronic, however we do need to use paper for indemnity forms, tickets etc. We recycle paper where possible.
We abide by a Humpback Whale, Manta Ray and Whale Shark Code of conduct. We also have a strict Marine Park Code of Conduct. We are accredited with Green Global Earth Check Lite and we come in well under the benchmark requirements.
We have 3 vessels. Santosha is surveyed to carry 20, Sub Sea Explorer is surveyed to carry 30 and the Coral Bay Explorer is surveyed to carry 12. We do not intend to increase our passenger numbers to minimize the impact on the environment and to provide a more personal tour. The spotter plane saves time and energy of the vessels searching around the ocean for wildlife.
The Department of Environment and Conservation issues licences and all tourism businesses must have a licence to operate. We have strict guidelines to follow and we incorporate DEC information in all of our tours. Coral Bay is a 100% tourism driven town. If we did not have our tourists, we simply would not exist.
Community
We send images of manta rays to a Murdoch University Research Association for their identification program. We also hire local people when available and source all catering supplies from local suppliers.
We have a crew of around 20 local people. We have a detailed Induction Program for all staff. We always donate tours or stock to local charities for local community fundraising. We have rarely declined participating in fundraising events. We monitor all recreational vessels for the local Volunteer Marine Rescue. Tourists are aware we offer this service.
Coral Bay is 150km from any other accommodation, so tourists have no choice but to stay in local accommodation. We deter people from free camping and making sure they use public facilities to benefit the environment.
