Congratulations Diana of Seattle!

The winner of the 2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid is Diana of Seattle, WA. Diana and her friends went Whale Watching in April during our Everett Gray Whale program, celebrating her friends 87th birthday! They all had a terrific time and saw lots of whales. Diana said that while filling out the ticket for the contest, she was thinking that she probably wouldn’t win but decided to fill out the ticket just for fun anyway. Diana also won 2 free season passes for our 2010 Whale Watch Season by leaving the picture of the Orca Whales on the side of the car!

We’re going to see the Prius parked outside Island Adventures a lot in 2010 while Diana is out watching whales with a friend! Congratulations!

Why did Island Adventures give away a car?

It’s not just a car…it’s a Toyota Prius Hybrid. This will put one more hybrid on the road and help to make more people more aware of the importance of being stewards for this planet!

GreenwareGreenware® is a trademark
of Fabri-Kal Corporation.

Island Adventures is also using Greenware®, a corn-based biodegradable product, on board the Island Explorer 3.

In 2009, Island Adventures developed a new software system for online booking, all office systems, and accounting that will cut our paper use by 90%! We are also using Thin Client computers for our new office system which require less energy to manufacture and run, last for millions of hours instead of thousands like a regular computer, and create much less heavy metal and plastic waste.

On board the Island Explorer 3, we use eco-friendly products for cleaning and route all gray water into holding tanks. The cabin floor is black…but it’s really green because it was made from recycled tires. The toilet paper on board is white but it’s green too because we use environmentally friendly T.P. Our crew also installed an oil catchment system in the engine room so there’s never a drop of oil getting into the sea.

The Island Explorer 3 is a whale friendly boat with larger, low noise propellers and above water exhaust. Also, during our 2008/2009 drydock, we replaced one generator to reduce noise even further. Our 12 cylinder diesel main engines are fuel efficient and clean burning.

Island Adventures helped keep our land clean by removing underground fuel storage tanks and cleaning the soil on the present site of our office and gift shop on Commercial Avenue. After completion, our work was approved by the Department of Ecology and now there is no danger of fuel leaching into Orca critical habitat.

Island Adventures has donated a Salmon Wall to a local park where the kids play (Storvick Park, 1110 32nd st., Anacortes – check it out!) to remind the next generation of the importance of preserving our salmon population.

2009 marks the 4th Annual Anacortes School District 2nd graders Marine Life Education Cruise. Island Adventures believes that a connection to the ocean is important for kids, so we decided to sponsor this tour and it’s been a huge success for the kids.

Any customer who makes a purchase through Island Adventures can round-up their change and donate it toward salmon enhancement efforts in our local watershed. Island Adventures, Inc. will match all donations received.

Education is the key for all of us, especially our next generation, for the longevity of the whales! That’s why every guest on board the Island Explorer 3 receives our Wildlife Viewing Guide — it puts thousands of people from all over the world in touch with our oceans and reminds them of what they can do everyday at home to help the whales.

Island Adventures 4th of July float, 2010

Island Adventures founder and owner, Shane Aggergaard, is President of The Pacific Whale Watch Association, a group dedicated to whale research, education, and responsible wildlife viewing.

Island Adventures currently works with top local researchers including Cascadia, Center for Whale Research, and NOAA Fisheries.

So why did Island Adventures give away a car?

Simple, because we care.

Thank you for doing your part to help the world that we all call home. The accumulation of many small deeds will create a healthier planet:

Fuel efficient cars, alternative, clean burning energy, recyclable products, organic products, and the education of the next generation.

See how we support our community in other ways.

A Message of Hope

I’ve been trying to put into words the feelings and thoughts that have arisen for me because of winning the Prius. When I learned of being chosen out of 20,000 plus people, I felt dizzy and couldn’t stop laughing. Inside me, something woke up and felt special. I also felt undeserving, then deserving, then open and generous, then fearful, then benevolent. Crazy!

As I’ve now spent a day with my new car, I’ve had time to move out beyond myself. I keep remembering the cheering I heard in the background as Shane told me over the phone of my good fortune. I’m thinking about Amy, the 6 year old (now 7), who reached into the middle and pulled me out. I’m thinking about all the people I met at the Anacortes store as I picked up the car, and all the people I met on the Whale Watching tour last April. Then I think about what it took for a relatively small business to make the decision to buy a car, a special, environmentally friendly car, as a promotional tool, during a very dark and scary time for relatively small businesses. What a message of hope and faith! Faith in the business and hope for our future.

As all of you continue to promote and experience the return of the whales, I too, want to spread this message. That good things happen. That we all are special and can be picked out from the crowd. That making an effort makes a difference. That going for it is always the right choice. Thanks so much for this incredible inspiration. Please keep doing what you do.

Sincerely,
Diana

“Consciousness is coming at you far faster than you are heading toward it” -Dr. J. Veltheim

Island Adventures Foundation
Round-Up Program

The Island Adventures Foundation, a 501 C3 non-profit corporation, is dedicated to whale research, habitat preservation, and education. For our 2010 season, our whale watching guests will have the opportunity to round-up their change and donate it toward salmon enhancement efforts in our local watershed. Island Adventures, Inc. will match all donations received from the round-up program.