Sustainable Tourism Case Study: Ocean Escapes

OCEAN ESCAPES CASE STUDY

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Ocean Escapes is a marine tourism company offering guided RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) tours throughout Cork Harbour, Ireland's largest natural harbour. With departure points from Crosshaven, Cobh, Aghada, and Cork City, Ocean Escapes provides a unique and adventurous way to explore the region. The tours combine high-speed excitement with scenic views, local wildlife encounters, and engaging commentary on the harbour's rich maritime history and iconic landmarks.

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES

• Fleet Efficiency & Innovation: Transitioned to lean-burn petrol engines to reduce NOx emissions. Diesel vessels now operate on HVO renewable diesel, reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%.
• Introduced a specialized vessel for EPA survey operations in 2026, achieving an 85% reduction in fuel consumption for these tasks.
• Prioritises vessel longevity over replacement; a 1990 commercial workboat was fully refitted in 2025 to extend its service life and reduce manufacturing waste.
• Waste Management: Eliminated single-use plastics from all trips and uses biodegradable, non-toxic products for all vessel maintenance.
• Habitat Protection: Operates a "leave no trace" policy, removes floating litter from the River Lee and inner harbour, and strictly adheres to the NPWS Code of Conduct for responsible marine wildlife watching.

SOCIAL INITIATIVES

Ocean Escapes provides marine education through skippers with marine biology backgrounds. Partnerships include "Oceans of Discovery" for school-based training and "Clean Coasts Ballynamona" for beach clean-ups. The company logs marine wildlife sightings for Ocean Research & Conservation Ireland and supports Port of Cork tern nesting initiatives.

The EPA utilises not only Ocean Escapes vessels but also their imagery for recruitment and social media. They have also provided vessels for Spike Island activities, the Discovery Channel and RTÉ filming, to support the amplification of Cork Harbour's story.

GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES

The company complies with maritime regulations, commercial passenger licensing, and safety certifications. Governance is based on maintaining stakeholder relationships with the EPA and Port of Cork. Internal processes include tracking sustainability performance and aligning business decisions with maritime environmental standards.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

In 2025/2026, the company recorded 20% annual growth. By moving 80% of tour starts to the city center, the business drives footfall to the urban tourism sector. Operational costs have been managed by reducing the office footprint. Reinvestment is directed toward fleet maintenance and the exploration of electric vessel technology.