The Environment

Protecting the natural beauty of the Whitsunday Islands

PWC or jet skis are often falsely criticised for impacting on the environment. The truth is, a modern jet ski operated responsibly is the most environmentally friendly mode of motorised transport on the water.

• Our jet skis have ultra low emissions
• The jet skis have no running gear under the water such as propellers or rudders that can injure marine life.
• Jet skis produce very little wash or wake.
• Jet skis do not require antifouling (covering bottom of boat with poisonous paint to limit growth)
• Jet skis don’t drop anchor in the marine park.

What you can do to help?

Sustainability isn’t just about what we do, it’s about what you do too!

Whitsunday Jetski Tours encourage our guests to continue adopting sustainable practices, such as:

• Bringing a reusable water bottle which can be refilled onboard reducing plastic waste.
• Ensuring nothing goes overboard with all waste disposed of correctly in recycling or waste bins provided.
• Selecting Sustainable and Ecotourism Certified Operators where available.
• Choose Reef friendly sunscreens which are free of known reef-harming chemicals (like oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene). For further information see Reef Safe Sunscreen Guide | Save the Reef
• Offset Carbon Emissions – tick the box on checkout – carbon emission offsets currently support Carbon Neutral who invest in collaborative partnerships with traditional owners for Biodiverse Reforestation Carbon Offset projects.
• Be Mindful Shopping: We encourage guests to consider the origin of items when purchasing souvenirs while travelling and to avoid purchasing any heritage artefacts or items derived from rare or threatened species.
• Download the Eye on the Reef App which enables you access to zoning maps and rules, record Reef health, animal sightings and incidents. The app also works outside of mobile range. To download the Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef Sighting App visit Eye on the Reef app | Reef Authority
• When travelling, use local energy and water efficiently.

Whitsunday Jetski Tours is proudly ECOTOURISM AUSTRALIA CERTIFIED, offering ecologically sustainable tourism with a focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.

Whitsunday Jet Ski Tours works closely with the GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AUTHORITY to allow this activity in an approved area of the Whitsundays.  As a result of this, Whitsunday Jet Ski Tours has a Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks permit to access the Whitsunday Islands.  Whitsunday Jetski Tours also participates in GBRMPA’s Eye on the Reef program and uses GBRMPA’s Sightings Network app to record any interesting marine sightings on the daily tours around the Whitsunday Islands.

Whitsunday Jetski Tours is also a member of the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association. The WCBIA represents members operating within the Whitsunday region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in order to continue to develop a more sustainable, viable and professional sector of the marine tourism industry.

Each jet ski tour is hosted and the informative guide provides an in depth commentary, including environmental education about the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and actions we can take to protect it for future generations.

A myriad of marine and bird life are encountered on the tours including sea turtles, dugongs and sea birds, while keeping a respectable distance between the jet skis and marine life in order to respect and protect these animals in their natural environment.

*The above image displayed was captured in 2014 within responsibly managed conditions, during a pre-planned shoot, in a designated watersports area as set out by GBRMPA. It was timed with neap tides and optimal weather to achieve 10 m visibility, using a helicopter perspective and polarised lens that created a compressed depth effect despite 5-6 m of water beneath the jetskis.