Ship to Shore Inc. is a member of IAATO. IAATO is an industry group organization that sets the highest possible tourism operating standards in an effort to ensure appropriate, safe and environmentally sound travel to the Antarctic. Regulations include restrictions on numbers of people ashore; staff-to-passenger ratios; site-specific and activity guidelines; wildlife watching; pre- and post-visit activity reporting; passenger, crew and staff briefings; previous Antarctic experience for tour staff; contingency and emergency medical evacuation plans; and more.

ShiptoShoreTraveler.com recognizes the importance of good environmental stewardship, and are very excited to be working with 1% For The Planet as part of our commitment to this land we call home. Every year we commit 1% of our net turnover to approved environmental nonprofit organizations (these are organizations that must meet the 1% FTP criteria for being a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental projects). This year we felt it made perfect sense to commit most of our donation to the geographical area that is of primary importance to our business. So we continued to support Birdlife International's campaign Save the Albatross. Through our donation we feel we are supporting the future of this majestic Antarctic bird. We also made a sizable donation to help the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. S.O.S. is doing a wonderful job working with local communities living alongside the orangutan habitat, to help them work towards a more sustainable future for their forests.

Following our donation to Birdlife international we received this from Graham Robertson, Australian Antarctic Division of the Save the Albatross initiative:

Ship to Shore Traveler pledged support for S.O.S. this year, in addition to our ongoing support of wildlife in Antarctica.

Indonesia boasts some of the most biodiverse forests in the world, yet also has the highest deforestation rate of any country in the world. By preserving the orangutans' habitat, S.O.S. says it is possible to ensure a future for the orangutan and other rare and precious wildlife such as the Sumatran elephant, tiger, rhinoceros and clouded leopard. The Sumatran orangutan is Critically Endangered and it is predicted that it will be the first Great Ape species to become extinct if current trend of habitat loss continues. Learn more about S.O.S.


How we have Reduced our Carbon Footprint

Ship to Shore achieved a 40% reduction in carbon emissions simply by offering to deliver parkas directly to ships departing for Antarctica instead of sending the parkas to passengers homes. Passengers loved this innovation. They liked being part of a reduced-carbon solution and it also meant they did not have to carry their parka to the ship. We are currently working on ways we, as a company, can further reduce our carbon footprint.

One of the Ways we Support our Community

We are proud to support CoolMom.Org a local group of environmentally conscious mothers committed to confronting the most important issue of our time: global warming. Ship To Shore Traveler designed the COOL MOM CoolMom.org Campaign T-Shirts (made of 100% pure organic cotton). 100% of the profits went directly to the CoolMom.Org.


NEWS ABOUT ANTARCTICA

March 2010: An all-black penguin has been discovered on the island of South Georgia near Antarctica. Read more about this "one in a zillion" penguin here.

February 2010: An ice bridge linking a shelf of ice the size of Jamaica to two islands in Antarctica has snapped. Read more about the ice bridge here. Also, a vast iceberg that broke off in eastern Antarctic could disrupt marine life in the region, scientists have warned. Read more about how this event is predicted to impact marine life here.

December 2009: The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty was December 1, 2009. To celebrate this international landmark and the global vision of the twelve original signatories, an Antarctic Treaty Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance was held on 30 November through 3 December 2009 at the Smithsonian Institution to highlight lessons learned about international governance "with the interests of science and the progress of all mankind." For more details visit the Antarctic Treaty Summit website at www.atsummit50.aq

April 2009: Hillary Clinton raised concerns about the impact of tourism on the fragile environment around Antarctica. We say this is one more reason to visit Antarctica now! Read more about Clinton's eco-tourism in Antarctica concerns here.

Denise Landau, former executive director of IAATO, has a glacier named after her in recognition of her role in "the development of environmentally responsible policies for the growing Antarctic tourism industry...". You can check out the listing of Landau Glacier by searching under Antarctic Names at http://geonames.usgs.gov.