Wavedancer is truly an inspiring, eco-friendly experience. As a sailing vessel, our footprint is gentle. We’re very proud to have achieved Advanced Ecotourism Certification for our Great Barrier Reef operations, the highest eco certification attainable in Australia. With this, our guests can be assured the opportunity to learn about and appreciate this most important World Heritage Area.

Each day, visitors to Low Isles with Wavedancer have the opportunity to join our marine biologists for an intriguing guided snorkel tour and island walk and learn from their extensive and passionate knowledge of the reef systems we visit.

Quicksilver’s own environmental division, Reef Biosearch , led by one of the largest team of privately employed marine biologists in Australia, was founded in 1986 with the aim of combining tourism, education and research for the ongoing conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Ecotourism Australia’s Eco Certification Program, describes Ecotourism as “Ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.”

The Eco Certification Program is an initiative of Ecotourism Australia, which has established an Eco Certification Program Management Committee to provide policy and management support for the program. The Eco Certification Program operates as a self-funding, not-for-profit program, with a Management Committee overseeing an Audit and Assessment Panel, which are chaired by a person independent of Ecotourism Australia. Credibility with industry, communities and travellers is at the heart of the Eco Certification Program. This is maintained through:

• A rigorous assessment process including referees.
• Review and updating of criteria every three years to reflect emerging best practice.
• Feedback from customers of accredited operators.
• Audits of operators, including an on-site audit on the entire set of the Eco Certification Program criteria during the period of accreditation.

When you travel with Wavedancer, and the Quicksilver Group, you can be assured of environmentally sustainable best practices.

Operating within the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the The Quicksilver Group is committed to environmentally sustainable marine tourism and maintaining the health of the Great Barrier Reef. We are acutely aware that we are all responsible for Climate Action and the need to be proactive. This philosophy is core to our operational and environmental practices.

Quicksilver was one of the first companies to be certified by Ecotourism Australia’s Climate Action Program and has been certified as a “Climate Action Innovator”.   What this means is that we proactively undertake adaptions and emissions reduction, and audit and measure our carbon footprint.

Research; Understanding Climate Change and Impacts

Quicksilver strongly supports scientific research on the Great Barrier Reef and participates in collaborative innovative research projects. Some initiatives include research into developing mitigation measures to prevent coral bleaching, trialling sewage treatment capability onboard our reef vessels and alternate energy sources.

Reef Monitoring and Reporting

Support of reef monitoring and reporting programs such as “Eye on the Reef”, “Sightings Network” and “Reef Check” as well as our own internal site monitoring program provide reliable reports regarding status of reef sites. Our environmental division, Reef Biosearch, established in 1986, has the longest logbook database of marine observations on the reef. This has allowed Quicksilver to develop a great familiarity with our reef sites and their resident marine life giving an excellent understanding of site specific ecological changes and reef impacts.

We hope that by travelling with Quicksilver, our guests will become ambassadors for future conservation of the reef.