Sustainable Eco-tourism
We strive to develop an appreciation of our environment in our guests aboard the Viking Princess. Our means for promoting awareness is through the medium of entertainment and educational cruises in a nearly pristine coastal harbor setting. By setting an example of sustainable use of our precious resources, we demonstrate that the dual-priority of business prosperity and environmental sustainability can be met.
The Viking Princess is very fuel efficient due to her displacement hull, diesel propulsion and reduced operating speed. Depending on conditions, efficiency in the range of 200 passenger miles per gallon are well within reach. In addition, we will be burning a blend of traditional diesel and a new non-fossil bio-fuel this season that will further reduce our emission of greenhouse gases.
The marine organisms that we collect and display onboard the Viking Princess are collected using innovative methods adapted to reduce or eliminate damage to the habitat being sampled. It is a simple task, for example, to drag a small otter trawl or scallop dredge through a near-shore area and capture hundreds of marine animals and cause a swath of eel grass to be destroyed in the process. It is a bit more of a challenge to rig a fine mesh net to skim over eel grass and collect a few specimens unharmed for observation in our aquaria and later release. Which method do you think we use? (hint: my otter trawl and scallop dredge are in the shed where they have been for years) All species are handled with care. Some organisms are held temporarily for observation and discussion in our various miniature marine habitats. Sensitive or regulated species are released immediately to minimize any stress. Any marine life that is not released is held in strict compliance with applicable state and federal management regulations.
The waste generated by the restroom (called a head onboard a boat) is confined to a holding tank during our cruises. It is then manually pumped into special containers and transported to a shore-side facility for proper disposal. Provincetown has no other means available to pump out the waste of commercial boats. Where does all the waste generated by commercial boats go? I'm sorry to say that using your imagination will probably lead you to the unfortunate (but correct) conclusion. For reasons that defy logic, Provincetown still has not come to grips with the issue. At least on this subject, the "head in the sand" posture of those responsible is decades behind any other town on the Cape. Lies and politics (often synonymous) behind me, I claim victory in finding a way to handle the waste in an environmentally responsible (and economically feasible) way.
Cape Cod - It's worth protecting!
