Aurora Expeditions, a Certified B Corp. in responsible expedition travel released it 2025 Impact Report highlighting the company’s sustainability progress including launching an ocean regeneration program to protect ecosystems and remove waste, initiating use of AI routing, and installing microplastic filters on it’s ships.
Aurora’s Ocean Regeneration program aims to replace carbon offsetting with carbon insetting, designing ships low-impact, reducing emissions and supporting conservation, restoration, science and circular practices. In the new program, for every passenger who joins an expedition, including staff and special guests, Aurora Expeditions funds the planting of one unit of marine life and the removal of one kilogram of ocean-bound waste. For 2025, the company said that resulted in 4,716 units of new marine life and the removal of 4,716 kilograms of ocean-bound plastic waste,
The company said that, based on 2026 forecasts, Aurora will support the planting of more than 7,000 units of kelp, seagrass and coral, while preventing more than 7,000 kilograms of waste from entering the ocean. These efforts are delivered in partnership with global organizations including Seatrees, Veritree and CleanHub, connecting expeditions directly to positive impact in the destinations Aurora visits: Kelp forests in Canada and Portugal; Seagrass meadows in Spain; Coral restoration in Indonesia and Costa Rica; plastic waste recovery in Indonesia’s Coral Triangle and other coastal communities.
Aurora is also experimenting with CounterCurrent’s AI ship routing, a project designed to allow ships to flow with currents, reducing fuel consumption. And its purpose-built expedition vessel, the Sylvia Earle, became the first Infinity class ship to trial Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a sustainable biofuel made entirely from use cooking oil. The HVO is reported to reduce emissions by 90% compared to conventional fuels.
The company also said it became the first expedition company to install microplastic filters on a ship through their partnership with Cleaner Seas. Cleaner Seas says its filters capture 99% of microplastics in outgoing water flows, preventing them from being dumped in the ocean from wshing machines and other sources.
“Every expedition leaves a footprint, and our responsibility is to minimize that impact and create a shift in the way people think so that they come back with a passion to protect our planet,” said Michael Heath, CEO of Aurora Expeditions. “Our 2025 Impact Report reflects our commitment to investing in restoring and regenerating the environments we visit.”
The company also said it removed salmon from onboard menus starting in 2025–26 season to align with stricter sustainable seafood practices. It provided more than 74,000 children across 195 countries access to free environmental courses filmed in Antarctica, the Arctic, and Iceland through Aurora’s partnership with Upschool. It participated in Citizen Science projects, from whale tracking (HappyWhale) to ice studies (TIPI), engaging passengers in hands-on research that advances global climate understanding. It provided $364,000 AUD (USD$249,000) in-kind expedition support provided to environmental scientists and researchers, plus $140,000 AUD (USD $92,000) in donations to conservation organizations.
“As explorers of the polar regions, we are witnesses to change, but also part of the solution,” said Sasha Bush, Sustainability Manager. “From supporting ocean regeneration and community-led conservation, to inspiring the next generation of climate advocates, our Impact Report reflects the ripple effect that responsible travel can create.”
