Allen Marine Tours’ Code of Conduct for Vessel-Based Wildlife Viewing

It is our mission to provide our guests with an experience which helps them learn about, respect and enjoy Southeast Alaska’s pristine coastal environment and abundant wildlife, and to conduct our tours in a precautionary manner to prevent harm or impact to the marine environment and its wildlife.  The captain and crew of this vessel have been trained to observe the following Code of Conduct:

• We will always operate our vessel safely in accord with federal, state and local regulations with due care for our passengers, other vessels and the environment.
• We will conduct an accurate, informative, quality interpretation program about the marine environment and the wildlife of Southeast Alaska.
• We will operate our vessel in a manner that does not disturb marine mammals, change their behavior, cause disruption of their social groups, or make them leave an area.
• We will reduce vessel speed to 10 knots or less whenever we intentionally approach within ¼-mile of whales, or seals and sea lions which are hauled out of the water.
• We will not pursue or chase whales or cut across their paths, but will approach slowly from the side or rear quarter, and then parallel to the animal’s direction of travel.
• When whales are within 100 yards of our vessel we will allow the animals to completely control the interaction, operate our vessel with due caution, and not attempt to get closer.
• We will minimize vessel noise and maneuvering in the vicinity of wildlife, and we will limit our viewing time with an individual or group of animals to 30 minutes or less.
• We will exercise caution when approaching eagles, or seabirds on land or in the water.  We will give bird congregations on the water as wide a berth as is practical.
• We will communicate with other vessels positioned in close proximity to wildlife we are viewing, to coordinate vessel movements and to reduce the potential for disturbance.
• We will refrain from making announcements on the vessel’s public address system whenever the vessel is in close proximity to wildlife sensitive to noise.
• We will encourage our passengers to assist us in this mission, by asking them to minimize noise and sudden movement on deck when the vessel is in close proximity to wildlife, and to make sure that nothing is tossed, dropped or blown into the water.