Sustainability

Elding Adventure at Sea – maintaining ecological balance

Making optimal use of the natural resources that our tours are built around requires us to respect nature and give as much back as we possibly can. The Elding team therefore strives to maintain an essential ecological balance and help conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

Our goal is to operate on sustainability principles, which refer to a suitable balance of the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. We try to offer good quality services and facilities, and base our work on the EarthCheck and Blue Flag’s standards along with IceWhale’s guidelines.

Working together on sustainability

All Elding staff members, and the different operational areas, are expected to pull their load when it comes to sustainability and work according to our environmental policy. Therefore we have our captains, engineers, guides, crewmembers, bus drivers, ticket sales, office workers and so on work closely together to implement our environmental policy and make it as efficient as possible. We also ask all our passengers to take part in the environmental work we’re doing on board as we consider their contribution important.

Responsible whale watching – your support is vital

See a whale or dolphin with a responsible operator and you will be inspired to care about the marine environment and support those working to protect it. The World Cetacean Alliance is a powerful coalition of individuals, businesses and organisations working towards best practice and sustainability in whale and dolphin watching tourism. We intend to have a positive influence on the way we view whales and dolphins. Together we are the global voice for whales and dolphins.

Our sustainibility timeline

YEAR: AWARD / CERTIFICATION
2023 Elding receives the Blue Flag recognition
2022 Elding receives the Platinum Certification of EarthCheck (12 years)
2020 Elding maintains Blue Flag recognition
2020 Elding acheives WCA Certification for Responsible Whale Watching
2019 Elding maintains the Platinum Certification of EarthCheck
2019 Elding is recognized as the Model Company of Responsible Tourism for 2018
2019 Elding maintains Blue Flag recognition
2019 Elding maintains VAKINN Quality and Enviro Gold label
2019 Elding is nominated for the Nordic Council Environment Prize for 2018 
2018 Elding receives the Platinum Certification of EarthCheck
2018 Elding receives Kuðungurinn Environmental award for 2017
2018 Elding becomes a founding member of Votlendissjóðurinn (foundation for the restoration of wetlands)
2018 Elding maintains Blue Flag recognition
2017 Elding retains Gold Certification of EarthCheck
2017 Elding maintains Blue Flag recognition for second time under new criteria
2017 Elding maintains VAKINN Quality and Enviro Gold label
2016 Elding receives the Gold Certification of EarthCheck 
2016 Elding receives the Blue Flag recognition again, meeting new criteria
2015 Elding receives the Gold Certification of EarthCheck
2014 Elding receives the Gold Certification of EarthCheck
2013 Elding receives Fjörusteinninn, the environmental awards of Faxaflóahafnir, the Associated Icelandic Ports
2013 Elding receives the GOLD Certification of EarthCheck
2012 Elding receives the Silver Certification of EarthCheck
2012 Elding receives the VAKINN Enviro Gold from the Icelandic Tourist Board
2011 Elding starts participation in World Cetacean Alliance and it’s working group on responsible whale watching (at the time under the name of PlanetWhale)
2010 Elding receives the Silver Certification of EarthCheck
2008 Elding receives the Silver Certification of EarthCheck (at the time under the name of GreenGlobe)
2008 Elding receives the Environmental Award of the Icelandic Tourist Boar
2007 Elding starts participation in the Smart H2 Project
2006 Elding receives the Blue Flag recognition
2006 Elding starts participation in EarthCheck (at the time under the name of GreenGlobe) 
2003 Elding was a founding member of IceWhale