Each year, World Ocean Day is about coming together to celebrate our oceans and raise awareness of how to protect them better. This year, the 2024 World Ocean Day theme on the 8th of June is “catalyzing action for our ocean and climate.”

This is a call to action for us all to take tangible steps toward better safeguarding our oceans’ health and mitigating climate change’s impacts. At Boatbookings, we firmly believe our commitment to preserving them must match our love for them. As a yacht charter company, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to do so. 

The oceans cover 70% of our planet’s surface, generate the oxygen we breathe, regulate our climate, and thousands of communities rely on them. Yet, the oceans are under threat, facing enormous pressures such as pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and the escalating climate crisis. 

This World Ocean Day, we must collectively catalyze action to protect our oceans; we have put together some of the steps you can make toward a better future:

Step 1: Charter A Greener Boat

Before you begin your boat charter, we want you to choose better. We aim to offer a vast selection of sustainable electric charter catamarans so that clients can choose a more responsible boat for their boating vacation. While most charter yachts are still diesel-powered, the segment for electric and hybrid boats is increasing rapidly. Not only are they better for mitigating the environmental impact, but these yachts also provide a more pleasant experience without noise, vibration, and fumes to contend with while trying to relax on the water. 

Step 2: Choose Better Preferences 

Once you have chosen your greener crewed charter catamaran, it is essential that you fill out the yacht’s preference sheets before getting onboard. These preference sheets help the crew curate the best yacht charter experience for you, and this is also where you can reduce your environmental impact. For the chefs, you can request that you eat locally and sustainably sourced menus versus flying produce to add to food miles and your carbon footprint. When it comes to using products onboard, request that all cleaning and toiletry products, such as reef-friendly sunscreen, are ecologically friendly; everything that goes down the drain onboard actually ends up in the oceans. Also, be sure to state that you would like to minimize single-use plastic wherever possible, primarily through reusable water bottles. 

Step 3: Be Aware Of Your Impact 

When cruising the world’s oceans, whether in the Mediterranean or the Indian Ocean, ensuring your activities are not disrupting the ecosystems is vital. Your onboard crew will adhere to marine conservation regulations regarding cruising and anchoring to minimize the yacht’s impact. When swimming, snorkeling, and diving, be mindful of your activities under the ocean. It is also essential to acknowledge any influence you may have on the communities you visit – this can have a positive impact, for example, contributing to the local economy. 

Step 4: Support & Spread Awareness 

As this year’s World Ocean Day theme suggests, we must all act. You can get involved in various local ocean conservation initiatives, such as beach clean-ups or restoration projects. If you cannot help first-hand, then spreading awareness of the pressures on our oceans is just as important. 

While acknowledging the topics behind World Ocean Day is essential, we should work to protect and conserve our oceans every day. At Boatbookings, we started this by helping facilitate greener chartering, providing clients with a more sustainable charter fleet and practices. To learn more about our greener crewed charter catamaran options and availability, contact the Boatbookings team today. 

One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together!