Wildlife Coast Cruises Sustainability & Conservation

Conservation by appreciation to improve marine-life awareness

Our sustainability journey at Wildlife Coast Cruises is a constant evolution. We promote values such as education and awareness in regard to marine life and ecological impacts as well as encouraging conservation and sustainability in all our operations.

We are always keeping busy in the environmental and sustainability space with a number of initiatives on the go, including: education materials, marine mammal research, community engagement, reducing environmental impacts, waste management, investment in new technology, business efficiency and improved mindset and procedure around operations.

To help foster new ideas and to ensure we are meeting our environmental goals we employ an internal environmental officer and an educational officer.

Wildlife Impact & Protection

We're committed to protecting marine mammals and their habitats, minimizing our operational impact.

We follow strict permits, train our crew in marine life interaction, and report threats to natural habitats. We also collect marine debris to prevent harm to wildlife.

Additionally, we gather research data for groups like the Happy Whale, Two Bays Whale Project, DEECA, and Deakin University. This data aids in whale identification, behavior studies, and migration tracking, which contribute to species protection through impact studies.

Environmental Impact

We care about our environmental impact and have improved several systems to reduce our footprint.

Waste Management and Recycling: We use plastic-free beverages, recycle most cruise waste, and have implemented a green waste system. We've also reduced paper use with digital tickets.

Annual Spring Clean Up - We organize a coastal clean-up day to promote local environmental initiatives.

Renewable technology - We've invested in solar power and inverter systems, and we're exploring electric hybrid engines to further reduce our impact.

Positive Impact Purchase

Running a Positive Impact Purchase, a unit you add to your cart that supports tree planting programs in the local area partnered with Bass Coast Landcare Network. In 2024, 12 months later we then matched the donations for these units and had a team planting day, this will be repeated annually.

To learn more about the great work of Bass Coast Landcare visit www.basscoastlandcare.org.au

Container Deposit Scheme

Since the start of the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) in Victoria, we have recycled over 6,000 containers through our local Cowes Can Collect depot. We believe this helps to build a stronger circular economy, supporting local jobs and use the money raised from these containers for our environmental initiatives.

Community & Sustainability

We sponsor and support local community and charity groups, helping us connect and improve the areas where we work.

Our team is always looking to get involved in local initiatives such as partnering with Totally Renewable Phillip Island and Regen Phillip Island Project. These give us the opportunity to unite with like-minded tourism businesses to promote regenerative tourism.

We have overhauled a range of products we use/sell seek out local suppliers and companies with a positive environmental impact. These products include: The Hidden Sea wine, Prom Coast Ice Cream, Wallaby Water, recycled materials plushies from Wilmot Harvey, cleaning products and even paints used in boat maintenance.

Conservation & Education

During our cruises and within the community, we share information about local wildlife, habitats, and history, and promote environmental messages.

To help inform other businesses and public we host presentations about marine mammals, their habitats and research to promote understanding and action.

We are one of the major partners involved in organising the annual Island Whale Festival, which focuses on education and sustainability related to whales and their environments.