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Aware of the responsibility of promoting tourism in one of the most emblematic places on Earth, Royal Galapagos collaborates with local and international organizations to protect nature, reduce our environmental footprint, and to support local communities in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
Hereunder you will find the projects and initiatives you are supporting when booking a cruise with Royal Galapagos.
Through the UN Carbon Offset Platform, Royal Galapagos invests in Carbon Credits to compensate greenhouse gas emissions and to support action on climate change. These contributions is calculated to cover fuel consuption on our boats and in our administrative offices (approx. 6,400 metric tons of CO2 per year).
To estimate the carbon footprint generated by Royal Galapagos operations in 2022, we measured the following aspects:
The compensation of our carbon footprint is done through the purchase of carbon credits in projects by the United Nations, which are internationally verified and validated.
The projects we choose to offset Royal Galapagos' carbon footprint are the following:
Royal Galapagos continuously works with Galapagos Conservation Trust, a British non-profit foundation which aims to protect and conserve the Galapagos Islands and its ecosystems through sustainable solutions.
This project is a great way to support and help conservation efforts in Galapagos for the threatened and most emblematic species and their home. We have given adoptions certificates on special departures on board the Royal Galapagos fleet and we are always looking for ways to implement and promote this initiative on our cruises.
To learn more about this initiative and to adopt your very own Galapagos animal, please click here.
Our Natural Paradise yacht will be the star of a couple of special departures in the summer of 2024, where Royal Galapagos will be making a special donation to the Galapagos Conservation Trust as a token of our on-going support and efforts to raise funds and awareness for Galapagos wildlife conservation and its ecosystems. To be part of this experience hosted by Steppes Travel and the Galapagos Conservation Trust please click here.
The transfer of supplies from mainland Ecuador to the Islands supposes a significant environmental impact by having to cover a considerable distance by air or by sea (600 miles). Regulated and sustainable fishing, small farming operations on the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal, as well as family-owned food businesses (like bakeries) are a regular part of our supply chain in the Galapagos. That way we support local production, with fair trade and quality standards.
The vessels of Royal Galapagos are owned by Ecuadorian families; whom we have a special bond and relationship with. We share common goals and objectives since day one of our operations back in 2012. We aim to fuel and improve the local economy directly, resulting in avoiding capital flight to large international corporations.
The population that inhabits the Galapagos Islands depends, to a large extent, on tourism for their livelihood. For this reason, the labor force in our boats is made up mostly of locals who are prepared from a young age to occupy various jobs on board; from Naturalist Guides to Chief Cooks, from First Mates to Captains, etc. This results in the elimination of migration of professional workforce from the mainland and helps maintain a sustainable population level in the archipelago.
On a regular basis, Royal Galapagos prepares special departures where young people and children from the islands are taken to tour the archipelago on our cruise ships. The most emblematic and best protected sites are usually not within the reach of the local population, and by bringing our children closer to them, we awaken their awareness and responsibility to safeguard their preservation.
Royal Galapagos fleet has been built on the highest environmental standards with state of the art equipment for the cleanest of sails.
When it comes to protecting wildlife, waterjets are the best propulsion solution. This blade-less system was applied on the brand new M/C Cormorant II.
Only high quality biodegradable soaps and shampoos are provided to our guests. Laundry and cleaning supplies on board are also eco-friendly to cause minimal impact to the ocean water.
High-tech desalination systems are present on all our boats to provide drinkable and general purpose water; avoiding the import of this resource from the mainland.
Self generated electric power is provided with high-tech generators that use the least amount of diesel. Low power lightning and appliances are also found onboard.
All the waste generated by our operations is meticulously classified and treated for its best disposal: optimizing the use of organic waste on the Islands or sending it to the mainland for processing.
Hydrodynamic design, lightweight materials and lead-free paint are applied to our yachts and catamarans, whicht are specifically built to cruise the Galapagos.
Onboard our cruises, passengers are given beautiful refillable water bottles that they can take home as a souvenir, protecting the Islands from plastic trash.
Fundación Jonathan is a non-profit organization, whose core mission is to provide health and social support to the impoverished people in Ecuador. They offer help to youth with disabilities, as well as elderly people struggling with illness, abandonment and homelessness.
Royal Galapagos and its staff contribute monthly to the Jonathan Foundation through the donation of food for children and the elderly, who benefit daily from the work of this organization. The contribution is made according to the supply needs that the foundation has each month.
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