Fred. Olsen to partner with marine wildlife charity ORCA on inaugural whale-watching Iceland cruise in Summer 2019

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has teamed up with marine wildlife charity ORCA for an inaugural Iceland sailing on Boudicca in Summer 2019, as part of a new partnership to monitor whale and dolphin numbers and to help to conserve and protect the seas as a safe environment in which these species can live and thrive.

ORCA will have two volunteer wildlife experts on board Boudicca, when the 880-guest ship sets sail on the 13-night ‘Icelandic Wonders & Wildlife’ cruise in June 2019. These volunteers will spend up to 16 hours a day out on deck during sea days, to help Fred. Olsen guests to spot and identify animals and to record data about the marine wildlife that they see.

In addition, the ORCA volunteers will be holding lectures and Q&A sessions on board, giving guests the opportunity to ask questions about any wildlife that they may have seen whilst on board, and on excursions whilst in port. The ORCA team will also be accompanying a ‘whale-watching’ tour with guests.

Thomas Rennesland, Hotel Operations Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“We know that our guests love sitting out on deck, in the hope of spotting marine whales, dolphins, and many other marine mammals and fish, and our nature-spotting excursions are always popular. To have the ORCA volunteers on board with us, sharing their vast knowledge and insight, is something that we know that our guests will enjoy.

“As a cruise line, we make our livelihood out of the sea, so it is vital that we do all that we can to help to protect the wildlife that lives within it. We are extremely pleased to be able to support ORCA in their important research in this way.”

Anna Bunney, Education Coordinator for ORCA, said:

“The entire ORCA team are delighted to be embarking on this exciting new journey with Fred. Olsen, working in partnership to help keep whales and dolphins safe. Itineraries like ‘Icelandic Wonders & Wildlife’ give us the opportunity to study these iconic animals and learn more about their lives, so that we can help create safe spaces for them to live in.

“This itinerary is an incredible opportunity to see some of the most charismatic animals in the ocean, and we can’t wait to show guests aboard Boudicca the amazing marine wildlife seen in this part of the world.”

Details of ORCA’s inaugural sailing with Fred. Olsen are as follows:

Boudicca’s 13-night D1914 ‘Icelandic Wonders & Wildlife’ cruise, ex Dover on 18^th June 2019. Prices start from £1,099 per person.

Ports of call: Dover, UK – Cruising Reyðarfjörður – Eskifjörður, Iceland – Cruising Eyjafjörður – Akureyri, Iceland (overnight stay) – Ísafjörður, Iceland – Reykjavik, Iceland (overnight stay) – Kirkwall, UK – Dover, UK

For more details: Visit D1914 ‘Icelandic Wonders & Wildlife’

The price shown above is based on two adults sharing a twin-bedded Interior Room, and includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, plus port taxes.

The ORCA Cruise Conservationist programme is a unique whale and dolphin-monitoring project, which uses cruise ships to identify and monitor whale and dolphin populations around the world.

Any data captured during this joint Fred. Olsen Iceland sailing will be analysed and used as a part of ORCA’s wider research to drive marine conservation policy at a UK and European level. This helps to create safe spaces in the ocean for whales and dolphins to thrive, safeguarding them for future generations.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent.

To find out more about ORCA, visit https://www.orcaweb.org.uk/