Carino Wildlife Cruises receives International Recognition

Here’s the kind of news I’d love to share everyday:

• Carino wildlife cruises is Internationally certified, as a responsible whale and dolphin watching operator, the only one in the Bay of Islands and one of 23 worldwide
• Carino wildlife cruises is one of a special group of the world’s leading responsible whale and dolphin watching tour operators delivering wildlife friendly encounters and, outstanding customer experiences.

Sounds good, but what does this mean?

It means that the World Cetacean Alliance assesses us on our animal welfare, conservation, and sustainability standards every year.

We meet those standards in our own unique way, by, for example by creating a regional partnership with DOC, Iwi and responsible marine mammal permitted operators to create a marine mammal SAFE project with the view to minimising disturbance to marine wildlife in the Bay of Islands.

We are extremely proud of this achievement!

Becoming a WCA Certified Responsible Whale Watching Operator is not only fantastic recognition that we are achieving our objectives; it also means that we are at the forefront of marine mammal conservation in the Bay of Islands.

We hope to inspire people to think about how they view and act around marine mammals.

If we can create awareness in people to behave more mindfully, we can reduce pressure on wild marine mammals and in doing so increase their chance of survival.

Becoming a certified responsible dolphin watching operator, we can give people an experience that allows them to connect with nature in truly responsible way.

Orca research and Carino NZ

This certification is awarded to whale and dolphin watching companies who conduct their operations to the highest standards, with a strong emphasis on local wildlife, sustainability and customer experience.  Certification is based on the WCA’s Global Guidelines for Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching, overseen by an international panel with specialist knowledge.

Carino Wildlife Cruises is the only WCA certified operator in the Bay of Islands with only one other company in New Zealand and 23 companies worldwide. By having a global code of conduct and regular audits for responsible operators, the public can be assured that the integrity of the certification is robust.

WCA Certified operators have proven that they conduct their business responsibly around the animals and are dedicated to environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Whether it’s researching, gathering data, providing education to the next generation of ocean advocates or introducing innovative technologies to reduce carbon footprints, WCA accredited operators are truly helping protect whales and dolphins.