Eagle Wing Tours First Whale Watching Company to Give 1% For The Planet

VICTORIA, B.C., April 16, 2012 – As a gift to the planet for Earth Day, Victoria’s Eagle Wing Tours has announced that it is joining the global 1% for the Planet movement and will contribute one per cent of its annual sales to help protect the environment.

Eagle Wing is the first whale watching company in Canada and the only tour company in Victoria to be a member of 1% for the Planet.
“The natural world has massive demands placed upon it every day,” said Brett Soberg, co-owner of Eagle Wing Tours. “At Eagle Wing we believe that being a responsible steward means being active, positive contributors to the ecosystem we love and are able to make our living from.”

Soberg and his business partner, Don Stewart, started the growing whale watching company in 2005 with a deep respect for the marine environment. They believe that by educating the public about whales and the wonders of the Salish Sea, they are able to inspire people to consider more environmentally-responsible choices in their everyday lives.

The company also goes to great lengths to minimize the environmental impact of every aspect of its operations. Eagle Wing Tours is Canada’s first and only carbon neutral whale watching company, offsetting all corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Their clean Volvo diesel engines meet the strictest international standards and provide the lowest emission rating of any whale watching company in Victoria. The unique scarab and catamaran design of their three vessels incorporate the latest marine technology to reduce engine noise, minimizing underwater sound, wake and shoreline erosion.

To celebrate Earth Day, Eagle Wing will donate $25 from every adult whale watching tour taken between Friday and Sunday Apr. 20-22 to The Land Conservancy’s campaign to protect Brooks Point Park on South Pender Island. The waters around Brooks Point are frequented by the southern resident killer whales.

“Environmental stewardship is at the heart of everything we do at Eagle Wing,” said Soberg. “Our customers can take pride in knowing that their tourism dollars are leaving a positive impact on the whales and the marine environment we all depend on.”

“Eagle Wing Tours is a great addition to the 1% network. By signing on to 1%, it shows they’re really walking the walk in their sustainability efforts,” says Terry Kellogg, 1% CEO. “They're using generosity as a tool with which to build their business and enabling valuable environmental work along the way. Eagle Wing Tours is an especially important addition to 1% for the Planet because they are uniquely positioned to engage their customers in the conservation movement by introducing them to the beauty of the Salish Sea.”

Eagle Wing is working with the Victoria Foundation to administer its 1% for the Planet pledge to support local charitable groups dedicated to the pursuit of sustainability and the environment.

“We welcome Eagle Wing to the group of Victoria businesses that have formally recognized their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “Eagle Wing’s commitment to creating a high standard for their sector is inspiring. We look forward to working with them and our other 1% partners to show that taking environmental responsibility is good for business, as well as good for our community.”

For more information about Eagle Wing Tours and their environmental initiatives, visit eaglewingtours.com

Media Contact:
Stephanie Slater, Director of Communications
Victoria Foundation
250-381-5532
sslater@victoriafoundation.bc.ca