Operator Steppes up plastic plight with new Galapagos tour

The launch is timed to coincide with Blue Planet Live, a new four-part BBC programme broadcasting live from March 24 and presented by Chris Packham, Steve Backshall and Liz Bonnin.

Steppes’ new tour will explore the Galapagos Islands with Jo Ruxton, marine conservationist and producer of documentary A Plastic Ocean, who will “share her views on the devastating issues facing these remote islands”.

The eight-day Galapagos trip she will host runs from October 20-29 and costs from £5,995pp, excluding flights.

The operator launched an anti-plastic campaign comparatively early on, starting #RefuseToUse in 2017, citing evidence of plastic’s effects on the oceans and marine life.

Steppes is now providing all of its clients with a filtered reusable Water-To-Go bottle and encouraging its international partners to look at ways of eradicating single-use plastics.

“We are in the process of compiling an audit of all our suppliers as to how many single-use water bottles they currently provide – whether with us or other suppliers – and also asking our suppliers to apply pressure on hotels to provide a safe water supply from which clients can refill their water bottles,” said managing director Justin Wateridge.