http://www.boatinternational.com | June 2018PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; EYOS EXPEDITIONSW
hat’s the must-have that should appear on every
yachtownerandcharterer’secowishlist?Anexpert
whowilleducateeveryoneonboardinhowto
make as littleimpactontheoceansaspossible.Workingwitha
true specialistwillnotonlyensurethatyourfavouritecruising
grounds arekeptsafe,butalsoimproveyourtriptenfold.
CompaniessuchasEYOSExpeditions,whosestaf
have diverse backgrounds spanning everything from
botany to marinebiology,cansendexpertsonboardto
work with ownersandguests(arrangingeco-themedtours
to understandanareabetter)orwillconsultwithcaptains
and crew onhowbesttoprotectcruisinggrounds.
It’s recommendedforpeaceofmind,too:those
travelling without a sustainability consultant can
easily contravenelawsandcausemajorharmtothe
environment. In Antarctica last year, a dog left the
yacht it wasonandgotalittletooclosetopenguins
and seals –anon-nativespeciesinapristine
environmentcouldwipeoutanentirepenguin
colony. EYOSinstructsgueststowashtheirfeetin
Virkon disinfectantbeforegettingonandofthe
boat so there’snochanceofdiseasebeingtransported.
“You need to make sure you’re not
stressing[animals]outordoinganything
in violation of local laws,” says Ben Lyons,
EYOS CEO, who recalls an incident when
visitorstotheArcticapproachedawalrusin
a harmful way. “Not treating these animals
withtheutmostcarecouldleadtolegal
actionagainstguestsorcrew,”he
says. Being respectful and upholding
the reputation of the yachting
communityalsomakesiteasier
foryachtstovisitinthefuture.
Havinggoodguidesonboard
canmakethecruisingexperience
more enriching. In the Maldives,
EYOS partners with a leading mantaCHECKLISTCEAN
BRING AN
ECO EXPERT
ON BOARD
Risa Merl on the benefits of
learning while you’re cruisingrayresearcherfordivingtrips,
granting“anextralevelofinsight
andappreciationyou’dotherwise
neverhave”,saysLyons.Onboard
personal visits from climate
change experts can also
bearranged,givingguests
lectures on how they can
make a diference.
Owingtodemandfrom
clients, EYOS is announcing
its new Conser vation
Initiatives, managed
by expedition leader Justin Hofman.
The programme will connect owners
with conservation projects in cruising
grounds all over the world.
Marine biologist and dive instructor
Rodolphe Holler (right), founder of Tahiti
Private Expeditions, goes on board with
owners and charterers to run courses on
marine life. When diving, he recommends
not to touch anything (dead or alive), to kill only the fish you are going
to eat and not to practise catch and release because many fish don’t
survive the trauma. “A local guide will know which species shouldn’t be
consumed because they are endangered, and which are safe to eat,” he
says. “Coral trout, for example, can have a toxin called ciguatera. I once
visited a boat where the crew had just eaten a bunch and they all got sick.
I missed warning them by about an hour!”
eyos-expeditions.com; tahiti-private-expeditions.com“You need to make sure
you’re not stressing
[animals] out or
violating any local laws”Having good guides
on board your
yacht can make the
cruising experience
more enriching