Alexander Rausch is the owner and Managing Director of Eco Pro Divers.
Their liveaboards are well known in the Maldives for their proactive approach to protecting the environment, the coral reef, and the ocean. We are really happy with how this interview turned out. Alex and all the crew members are truly passionate about diving and ecology. Within their vision, they are doing a great job to help keep islands in the Maldives clean by using eco-friendly materials, actively involving their guests and local community, separating plastic, supporting local NGOs, and taking care of a new generation of responsible divers in this way. We hope you will want to know more about it and join one of their liveaboard trips in the future.
Alexander:
Personally I started diving in 1998. It was because of my aunt and uncle. They took me to Spain to Cadaqués, which is on Costa Brava. And there I got my first driving license and it has already been 23 years since that time.
Of course, my function is a little bit different now. I have to take care of the whole company. And I’m not working as a dive guide on my boat. But even my staff says that if I don’t dive for a day, they send me to the water, because I always go a little bit crazy. And they push me to jump at least once a day and join the dive. I still love it! When I am able to dive I go for it.
How did I decide to join a diving business?
This was kind of destiny, I have to say. I was working as a banker for 16 years. I met my partner here in the Maldives and I was’t really looking for this job opportunity. But we had several meetings and talks, and then one came to the other. And right now I’m here. I had a vision for our company, Eco Pro Divers, but I wasn’t really looking for it. It just happened.
Four years ago, I came up with the idea to run liveaboard trips as environmentally friendly as possible. So we sat with my partners and we were really discussing, what can we do, to run it really properly, to have a collaboration with the research organizations here in the Maldives, what actions we can take on the boat to make everything as environmentally friendly as possible. Right now we are producing our own drinking water out of salt water. So first it’s a desalination plant and after this, it runs through osmosis and mineralization. Of course, all of our clients get refillable aluminum bottles. From the beginning, we removed all or almost all the single-use plastic on the boat. We use bamboo straws, and we offer biodegradable shampoo and shower gel in our bathrooms. We do many, many small things. We use paper pens instead of plastic, and our written materials are made out of recycled materials. But only if we need it right now,
because in 2021 most of the marketing is done online and you just don’t need paper anymore or a lot of paper.
We are working with Parley for the Oceans (worldwide movement to help end marine plastic pollution). They are collecting ocean plastic from beach clean-ups and also all the floating garbage in the sea. This garbage is going to get recycled. For example, the brand Adidas or Mermaid Protector is using it. During the last World or European Soccer Championship, most of the jerseys were made out of recycled ocean plastic. Unfortunately, we are one of just two companies right now here in the Maldives which are collaborating with Parley for the Ocean. Even it’s super easy. So we separate
the plastic on our boats. And every trip, we are doing beach clean-ups with our clients and also our stuff. After then we send this to Parley. It’s getting recycled and used up again.
We are also working with the Whale Shark Research Programme, we also offer several trips with them and also with Manta Trust. We try to support each other to get the biggest effect out of it.
We were the first or one of the first companies with this approach in the Maldives. There are several liveaboards which are also taking a little bit of action at this moment, but in my opinion, it’s not enough.
For example, this Parley issue, it’s super easy, but of course, you have to show a little bit more effort and you have to send this plastic to them and most of the crews still don’t want to do it. And still, the understanding about ocean plastic or garbage is very poor here. We have to be honest about this. If we go to an uninhabited island, it’s super sad to see how full of garbage these islands are.
I think if the divers community was more responsible, it would cause operators to follow this trend.
This is why we are starting with Parley for the Oceans now this year to make them a little bit more popular.
How can agents, resellers, and travel companies help with this?
The same as the guests, by carefully choosing the liveaboards where you send the clients. Of course, we are always open to doing a campaign together. We always offer specials when we are focused on this. For example, we are going to do family trips at the beginning of August in cooperation with the German diving magazine „Tauchen“. We plan to go to local islands and we will meet with school classes from the Maldives so our kids and our guests will collect plastic together and clean up the beach. And afterwards we go snorkeling, so we can connect more with the local community and our guests. I think this could be active for the future – to offer special trips which are really focusing on this point.
A collaboration like that will be a great experience, both for the local community and for guests.
In the previous four years I would say we generated a lot of repeat clients who stand for the quality that we are offering on our boats. As a part of the eco-friendly vision, we are not a luxury boat. You will not find a jacuzzi on our boats. But you have all the quality and luxury that a real diver needs, and of course we offer good diving. And I think overall it’s the atmosphere on our boats that the whole team is creating together for our clients when they come to the boat. Yeah, so this is what makes us stand out a little bit compared to other operators or companies here.
I would like also to tell something about our team.
We have been working together for almost four years, so we are growing in the company. We are operating three boats right now. I think the team is standing together. People, our repeat clients that count, they always see the same people. Of course, there are small changes from time to time, sometimes some family issues. But overall our main team members are still together and growing and we of course choose carefully who is joining us. For the next years and for the long term my plan is to develop the company. So we are growing. As you said, yes, we managed quite well during this coronavirus time. I think this is the proof of our quality, this is the proof that you, the travel agent are satisfied with us, the clients are satisfied with us, proof that there is trust from every side. And I hope we can go on like this.
From the beginning, my vision was not only to stay here in the Maldives, my vision is also to grow Eco Pro divers to other destinations in the world. Also, not only liveaboards. So if we get a good opportunity for the future then of course I am going to take it. But there is nothing to announce today. I’m very happy that we handled this coronavirus situation. The vision is to grow the company bigger and yeah, let’s see what the future brings.
What can I tell about our clients? Everyone who cares at least a little bit about the environment is very happy to be with us.
I only have to say that the only people we don’t want to see on the boat are people who don’t care, who throw garbage into the ocean or touch animals, or break corals. We always have a lot of individuals onboard from different nations. So I cannot really say who we’d want to see. I can only say who we don’t want people who really aren’t taking care of anything, and aren’t taking care of the environment. But everyone else. Beginner divers, professional divers – we love to welcome everyone. We really love to see individuality onboard. Those are the best trips for us.
Diving industry is changing. We are a young company and I am also not that old. I’m very open just to check what we have to do, or to try, and to be a little bit brave.
Because in my opinion everything is changing. So for me, it’s not a problem if something is changing. I think we also have to settle ourselves with these developments and just try our best
to go with it. Of course not all changes are good. It’s important to stick to your vision. But sometimes it’s good to go with the flow. It might be helpful. But I am not a person who says that the development in the past was bad.
I really think that caring for the environment will become more and more important, and of course to trying to bring in young, new divers, to make the sport interesting for young people again. I think this will have the main effect. But overall, I can see more and more interest in taking care of the environment. Right now we are trying to ban single-use plastic, the old engines, and we are going more and more for electric cars. It all can bring changes, not only for diving. And I think even in the diving industry, it will have more and more effect and more importance.
Sources:
Interview divebooker.com
Parley for the Ocean
