Tag Archives: nature

Aurora Releases 2025 Impact Report

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Aurora Releases 2025 Impact Report

Photocredit Spacejunkie2, Flickr account https://flic.kr/ps/GkiQt

Aurora Expeditions has released its 2025 Impact Report, showcasing the company’s strides in environmental stewardship, scientific collaboration and community engagement globally.

“Every expedition leaves a footprint, and our responsibility is to minimise that impact and create a shift in the way people think so that they come back with a passion to protect our planet,” said Michael Heath, CEO of Aurora Expeditions.

“Our 2025 Impact Report reflects our commitment to investing in restoring and regenerating the environments we visit,” Heath added.

The company said in a press release that highlights from the 2025 report include the following:

  • The launch of the Ocean Regeneration program: Aurora funds the planting of kelp forests, seagrass meadows and coral restoration, along with the removal of ocean-bound waste.
  • It became the first expedition company to trial Counter Current’s AI ship routing, designed to allow ships to flow with currents, reducing fuel consumption.
  • With Cleaner Seas, Aurora was the first expedition company to install microplastic filters on a ship, preventing microplastics from entering the ocean.
  • More than 74,000 children accessed free environmental courses through Aurora’s partnership with Upschool, and
  • The Sylvia Earle was the first Infinity Class ship to trial a 100 per cent biofuel.

According to the press release, additional highlights from the report’s two focus areas include the following:  

Planet: Restoring Ocean Health and Reducing Emissions

  • The expansion of partnerships with global conservation leaders, including Mission Blue, CleanHub and Veritree, supporting habitat restoration from the Coral Triangle to British Columbia, and
  • The removal of salmon from onboard menus starting in the 2025-26 season to align with stricter sustainable seafood practices.

 People: Inspiring Global Ambassadors for the Natural World

  • Seven Citizen Science projects, from whale tracking (HappyWhale) to ice studies (TIPI), are engaging passengers in research that advances global climate understanding
  • $236,436 USD in-kind expedition support provided to environmental scientists and researchers, plus $90,937 USD in donations to conservation organisations
  • Continued support for the Inuit Community Ambassador Program with The Oxen Network
  • Having a Certified B Corporation 87.5 B Impact Score, well above the global average of 50.9, and
  • The company’s commitment to recertify under the new B Corp standards by 2027, ensuring continuous improvement across governance, community, and environmental performance.

The full Impact Report is available to view here.

Image credit: Spacejunkie2

Scenic Eclipse in Drydock for Azipod Replacement

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According to an update shared by Scenic Cruises, the Scenic Eclipse is currently in drydock in Galveston, Texas, for the installation of a new Azipod.

The new propulsion unit will replace one that is currently inoperable, the company explained in a social media post.

Scenic added that it’s working closely with its partner ABB Group to get the work completed in time for the vessel’s next cruise.

The replacement Azipod will be delivered to Texas via a specially chartered Antonov 124 aircraft, one of the world’s largest cargo planes, the company said.

Captain James Griffiths, Scenic Group’s general manager of ocean operations; Jason Flesher, director of discovery operations; and Darko Caput, director of marine & technical operations,, are on-site to ensure all work is completed and that the Scenic Eclipse is certified for full operations.

The 2019-built vessel is scheduled to resume guest service on Nov. 27, 2024, kicking off a winter schedule of expeditions to Antarctica and South America.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming our guests on board to create memories to last a lifetime in the white continent,” Scenic said.

In September, the company cancelled three cruises onboard the Scenic Eclipse due to an issue with one of the vessel’s ABB Azipod propulsion units.

At the time, Scenic said that the problem was affecting the propulsion capacity of the 228-guest vessel, forcing it to navigate at lower speeds.

While the ship was still sailing safely, it was necessary to secure a dry dock to carry out important maintenance work onboard, the company added.

The affected cruises were scheduled to sail to the Caribbean and South America between Oct. 24, 2024, and Nov. 27, 2024.

Built by the Uljanik Shipyard in Croatia, the Scenic Eclipse originally entered service for Scenic Cruises in mid-2019.

The 16,500-ton vessel was later followed by a sister ship, the Scenic Eclipse II, which debuted in April 2023.

Queen Mary 2 in mid-Atlantic mercy mission

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Queen Mary 2 in mid-Atlantic mercy mission

By Phil Davies

Queen Mary 2 in mid-Atlantic mercy missionCunard flagship Queen Mary 2 stopped in mid-Atlantic yesterday to provide assistance to a lone woman rowing across the ocean.

The ship, sailing from New York to Southampton, received a request to assist after Canadian solo rower Mylène Paquette lost her anchor and a satellite phone in a storm.

She received four watertight canisters containing the requested items including a new satellite phone after 83 days at sea and two months to go.

QM2 slowly circled the boat at 10 knots to calm the water before the provisions, including food, bottled water, tea and coffee, were dropped into the sea and collected by Paquette.

The ship also supplied a scraper to remove the barnacles underneath the rowing boat, duct tape, soap, shampoo and body lotion.

Captain Kevin Oprey, master of QM2, said: “We are happy to have given assistance to Mylène and help her recover from the damage inflicted by the storm. We wish her the very best of luck with her solo Atlantic rowing adventure.”

Paquette said: “This is a dream come true! For me to see the Queen Mary 2 in the middle of the Atlantic is something I would have never hoped for. I want to thank all of the members of the crew for making this encounter happen.”

She is aiming to become the first North American woman to row solo across the Atlantic, a total of 2,700 nautical miles, having set out from Halifax, Canada on July 6 for Lorient in France.