Eco-Certification
Fantasea Adventure Cruising is an Eco Certified operator offering a genuine eco tourism experience. Our certification covers our Great Barrier Reef cruise to Reefworld, Reefsleep and day cruises to Whitehaven Beach.
For more information on eco tourism, check out Ecotourism Australia’s website www.ecotourism.org.au.
Green Travel Leader
Fantasea is leading the field amongst eco tourism and we have officially been recognised as a “Green Travel Leader” of Australia. This honour is only given to organisations that have been ECO Certified for 10 years or more. Fantasea is one of ONLY 50 companies in Australia and only one of three companies in the Whitsundays who qualify, proving we are great Ambassadors to tourism not only in Queensland but in the whole of Australia!
Environmental Management Charge
The Australian Government levies an Environmental Management Charge (EMC) of $5.50 per head on tourism operations for all visitors over 4 years of age visiting the Great Barrier Reef and environs. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has the responsibility for the management, protection and sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef. The EMC is being used for this purpose, to ensure the continued enjoyment of the reef and its environs for future generations.
Monitoring Programs
- The GBRMPA Eye on the Reef Program (EOTR): Fantasea has been involved in the Eye on the Reef program since its inception in the Whitsundays in June 2007. EOTR is a partnership between GBRMPA, researchers and tourism operators and is one of the largest coral reef monitoring programs in the world.
- The GBRMPA Sightings Network: Fantasea regularly reports sightings of unusual animals or events including sightings of coral bleaching, tagged, marked, stranded or injured marine life. Fantasea staff also record sightings of Humpback Whales for researchers at the University of Queensland.
- The GBRMPA BleachWatch Monitoring Program: BleachWatch is an ongoing community-based coral reef monitoring initiative developed by GBRMPA, in partnership with tourism operators to monitor for coral bleaching and other indicators of the health of corals.
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and GBRMPA Marine Monitoring Program: Between 2006 and 2009 Fantasea marine biologists collected monthly water samples which were analysed by AIMS scientists for the plant pigment Chlorophyll ‘a’, the most commonly used indicator of water quality. Salinity, temperature, water depth, presence of the blue-green alga Trichodesmium sp. and weather conditions were also recorded at each sampling site.
- Day to day site monitoring: Fantasea’s marine biologists regularly monitor the Reefworld site on Hardy Reef, paying particular attention to the presence of Crown of Thorns Starfish and Drupella snails (both coral predators) and coral diseases.
- Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) Reef Tourism Study: On behalf of James Cook University, Fantasea marine biologists conduct weekly surveys. This information is collected and analysed with the goal of creating a sustainable tourism industry with minimal ecological impact.
- Reef Check Australia Volunteer Surveys: Each year Fantasea hosts a group of Reef Check Australia volunteers who come out to Hardy Reef and survey the Reefworld site, recording coral cover, reef health indicators and key invertebrate species. The data collected is added to a global reef health database which can be viewed online.
- AIMS Weather Station: Fantasea Reefworld is home to a remote weather station, which provides half hourly reports back to AIMS on the weather conditions at Hardy Reef. This weather station records wind direction and speed, air and water temperature and air pressure. You can also view real time images from the webcam based on Reefworld.
