Why conservationist Monty Halls has teamed up with this cruise giant

Halls recalls the moment Bouldin walked up, shook his hand and said “we need to talk”. From that moment he was astounded by RCG’s “engagement and intent to explore the project”. He adds that RCG’s support has been “invaluable”.

“It’s allowed us to explore a template and proof of concept going forward,” he asserts. “We would have been low on assets, filming on iPhones, but RCG provided assets for us to do it properly.”

New findings

With the extra support from RCG, Halls was able to make some exciting discoveries. Among them a group deploying listening devices to locate local dolphin populations and a community-run rat eradication project on the Scilly Isles that led to birds finally returning to nest there – the most successful of its kind ever.

“We want to go out and tell those stories, record them, so people can replicate them around the world,” Halls says.

And Bouldin believes Halls has the ability to make people listen.

“It’s one thing to find a marine biologist but the way Monty uses his family in the filming makes it easy for other families to connect to. He is a great storyteller.”

A series showcasing the Halls family’s adventure is being released on YouTube and amplified via social media.

Longer term, Halls’ vision for phase two, known as “leaderbox blue”, sees him creating a “conservation project in a box”. He hopes that RCG will get behind this too.

“Hopefully RCG vessels will ultimately carry these onboard and when they dock in a port they can give them to a school or community so they can run their own conservation project,” he enthuses.

There are also plans afoot to explore the UK coastline more widely, beyond the south-west.

Working together

Of course such a partnership isn’t without its questions. Do marine conservation and the world’s largest cruise ships really form a happy marriage?

Halls wholeheartedly affirms so. He adds that RCG backed his project straight away and says not only did the group agree on the importance of telling these stories, it backed him in the knowledge that awkward questions may be asked.

“The cruise industry has grown over many years and it’s here to stay but we can explore how it can operate more sustainably. How it can work with the coastal communities it visits and work proactively with them. It requires a multi-stakeholder approach”

Returning to Halls’ original motivation, turning the tide of messaging around marine conservation to a more positive narrative, he can see the possibilities that the cruise industry holds.

“It has the potential to create millions of ocean ambassadors. Cruise lines should never underestimate how many marine biologists, conservationists, filmmakers, writers they have created because of what they have seen onboard their ships. The industry can accelerate that, not just allow it to happen by osmosis. Whether it’s shore walks or showing conservation films onboard, it really can create that positive messaging.”

It’s something that resonates with Bouldin too. He describes how through a Clia working group, RCL hosted students from an inner city college in London, educating them on the steps the company needs to take to maintain and increase sustainability.

“They really enjoyed understanding what happens behind the scenes. I want to do much more of it,” he insists.

If what Bouldin refers to as Halls’ “passion and big ideas” continue to gather pace with RCG’s support, that tide of positivity could just become an integral part of a wave of change within the cruise sector.