Conservation Efforts

Thank you for your help! For over a decade we have been committed to donating at least 5% of our profits to conservation. Then a few years ago, we implemented a $1 per person conservation fee to help boost that even more. With our guests’ help, in the last 3 years, Western Prince has given over $40,000 to a variety of conservation organizations focused on the Salish Sea such as the Center for Whale Research and Save our Wild Salmon.

It feels good to give back.

Going forward, we will continue to support organizations that are committed to protecting and restoring critical habitat in the Salish Sea, especially salmon focused organizations.

Less Plastic

On the Western Prince II this year, we stopped selling plastic bottles of water and installed a carbon water filtration system using compostable cups. And of course, we recycle on the boat and in the office with newly implemented compostable garbage bags.

Our Vessels

Everyone at Western Prince cares deeply for our beautiful and special home, the Salish Sea. As marine educators, we present insightful information about all the incredible species in the San Juan Islands and the various threats they face, while making sure we can offer solutions and actions to strive for. The drive to contribute and make a difference doesn’t just stop at the information on our tours, but throughout all we do. We are always looking for ways to improve our positive environmental impact.

This year we welcomed a new custom built whale watching vessel that our owner Ivan Reiff designed and had built locally by Lifeproof Boats. This vessel replaced the original Western Explorer. A benefit of this new vessel is that it is propelled by water jets, meaning there are no traditional propellers under the water. This makes for a significantly quieter vessel at speed. The Western Explorer II is powered by twin 480 hp diesel QSB6.7 Cummins engines with an EPA Tier III rating. These brand new engines operate very quietly, with an 80% reduction in noise at idle. The EPA Tier III rating gives us engines that reduce overall emissions and pollution by 80% compared to Tier I!!!  We love everything about this new vessel for our guests and our planet.

Our other vessel, the Western Prince II, was the first whale watching vessel in the San Juan Islands and is still going strong. Over the years this vessel has received many improvements and continued maintenance to keep it operating at top performance and as environmentally friendly as possible. 2019 will see an almost complete overhaul on both of her engines, ensuring clean, reliable service. To reduce underwater sound, new skewed blade propellers from VEEM were installed in 2017. These particular props use a cutting-edge technological blade design, providing higher speeds, better fuel economy, and lower sound levels and vibration. As new technology comes about, we always assess its potential for implementation.

Additionally, by the next operating season, we hope to conduct a full underwater sound profile for both of our vessels to further understand and improve our vessels.

Tour operations

Western Prince is an active member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association. As an association, we continually look to improve our operating guidelines based on best available science. This year we adopted several new protocols that went above and beyond government mandated regulations. They included a 1km slowdown zone around any known whale species. This means that we are approaching a known animal at 7 knots or less in this zone. Science has shown that at 7 knots or less the underwater sound of whale watching vessels is reduced to ambient ocean noise levels. Operating slow around whales is one of the most effective steps we can take to reduce our footprint on the water. Additionally, mandatory testing for Captains was implemented to ensure that all operators understand what is needed to conduct respectful wildlife tours.

The Whale Warning Flag

Locally, in San Juan County, a new pilot program was initiated by the Marine Resources Committee to study the use of a whale warning flag that would prompt vessels to slow down in the vicinity of whales. We’ve been flying the flag on both our vessels since the pilot program started this season. This flag was first introduced in Northern Vancouver Island by the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association. The MRC hopes that by using the same flag design, they will promote and strengthen a consistent message of good boating behavior around whales throughout the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, USA.