The ethical charter

The environment and us.

At work

Our boat is in accordance with environmental standards and doesn't discharged effluents. It is cleaned and maintained with biodegradable cleansing products.
We have chosen to perform our activities respecting and developing the natural and cultural heritage of Guadeloupe.
We are a small business favouring a more personnal contact with our guests. To communicate we use recycled paper and we choose not to advertise with leaflets but rather permanent traditional crafts .
We make regular cleanings of the visited islets.
We have a program of reafforestation ( mangrove ) for one of them …
At home

We sort our domestic waste.

Even if we are not owners we do everything to preserve the environment. We have bought a solar- water heater, we have low comsumption lamps, we collect rain water to water the garden early in the morning or in the evening, we don’t use atificial fertilisers… Our garden is a medley of spices, flowers fruits and medicinal plants. We also own a compost heap.

Whenever we buy new new domestic electrical appliances, we coose the low-consuming ones. We do not use tumble-dryers and always switch off our appliances completely.

Cultural connections.

One of the best things about travelling is making connections with people from different cultures, in an authentic and mutually enjoyable way.

Responsible tourism takes into consideration the three following requirements :
Environment: it minimises negative environmental impacts and makes positive contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, wilderness, natural and human heritage.
Social/Cultural: it respects the host culture and traditions and fosters authentic interaction and greater understanding between travellers and hosts.
Economic: it has financial benefits for the host community and operates on the principles of fair trade.
Educative: it raises the public awareness of the cultural and natural heritage.

Learn a few words of the local language and make sure you know what's considered polite and what's not in terms of eating, greeting and dressing.
Try to leave as much excess packaging as possible at home (eg film boxes, anything plastic) - so that your hosts don't have to deal with your waste.
‘Cultural sensitivity' is simply a matter of respect: take your behavioural cues from the locals and, if in doubt, try to see things from the locals' point of view.
Go with the flow. Other cultures have very different concepts of time, personal space and socially acceptable behaviours. You will find it a lot less stressful - and a lot more enlightening - if you just chill out. You might even reassess your own ideas.
Dress appropriately. Looking at the locals is a good way to gauge what to wear. Particularly in conservative cultures, don't flaunt yourselves and try to be neat and clean - it's only respectful.
Try to be conservative with resources such as water, food and energy - you may be depriving local people or making a negative impact on their environment.
Buying locally made crafts and curios means your money goes directly to the community.

Mangrove hiking and bird watching.

How to minimise your impact on fragile places
No matter what you do, your mere presence will make some impact on any given environment, so keep that impact minimal.

Be aware of suggested or legal approach distances and other recommendations for observing wildlife. A basic rule of thumb is that if the animal is altering its behaviour due to your presence, then you're too close. The best wildlife watching is when you get to see the animals' natural and often quirky, behaviour
The picking of wildlife, corals or seashells plants from the sea is strickly forbidden.
Keep erosion to a minimum: don't be tempted to create a new track or take a shortcut. Stay on the captain trail .

Here are a few links to recommended websites :