Signatory company
Sustainability Charter for Whale Watching
The voluntary commitment of Tenerife’s whale-watching companies to cetaceans and the marine environment, driven by Turismo de Tenerife.
What is the Sustainability Charter for Whale Watching?
It is the voluntary commitment that Turismo de Tenerife and the island council promote among the island’s whale-watching companies, built on five principles of respect for cetaceans and the marine environment. Picarus appears on the public list of signatory companies and that commitment is reviewed periodically.
- Driven by
- Turismo de Tenerife and the Tenerife island council
- Origin
- 2010, renewed in 2018
- Commitment
- five principles, periodically reviewed
- Picarus
- on the public list of signatory companies
What it is and who grants it
Driven by Turismo de Tenerife and the island council, the Sustainability Charter gathers the voluntary commitment of the island’s whale-watching companies around five principles: meaningful experiences, tourism quality worthy of the setting, protection of the marine environment and the local community, compliance with regulations, and transparency and continuous improvement.
The Charter was born in 2010 and renewed in 2018, and its approach has been recognised beyond the island: it was a finalist in the UN Tourism innovation awards. The list of signatory companies is public, so any visitor can check which operators have signed it before booking.
What it means when you sail with us
Picarus is among the signatory companies published by Turismo de Tenerife, and that commitment is reviewed periodically. It matches what we have stood for over the years: we don’t sell a boat trip, we propose another way of looking at the sea.
Of the five principles there is one that sums up how we work: offering meaningful experiences. A day at sea does not have to be just another attraction; it can be the moment someone first understands why this stretch of ocean matters.
Frequently asked questions
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Who is behind the Sustainability Charter?
Turismo de Tenerife and the island council. It was born in 2010, renewed in 2018, and was a finalist in the UN Tourism innovation awards.
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What principles does it contain?
Five: meaningful experiences, tourism quality worthy of the setting, protection of the marine environment and the local community, compliance with regulations, and transparency and continuous improvement.
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How can I check which companies have signed it?
Turismo de Tenerife publishes both the text of the Charter and a profile for each signatory company at webtenerife.com. At the end of this page you will find the direct link to the Picarus Sailing Club profile on the official Tenerife Tourism portal.
Verify it at the source
Turismo de Tenerife’s official page contains the Charter’s text and the list of signatory companies, where Picarus Sailing Club appears.
Picarus Sailing on the Tenerife Tourism portal ↗ (opens in a new window)The Charter and signatory companies — Turismo de Tenerife ↗ (opens in a new window)
Official sources last verified in July 2026.
Certifications
A guarantee of trust
Quality milestone · 2018
ISO 9001:2015
We were the first company in the sector to obtain the ISO 9001:2015 certificate for whale watching and crewed services for maritime excursions (AENOR, 2018).
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Certified destination
Whale Heritage Area Tenerife-La Gomera
The first destination in Europe certified for its responsible relationship with whales and dolphins: the marine strip we sail.
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Official emblem
“Barco Azul” (Blue Boat) flag
The Canary Islands Government emblem identifying vessels legally authorised for whale watching.
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State authorisation
AROC authorisation
The Spanish Government authorisation for recreational cetacean watching, with our sailboats on the official register.
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Member
ACEST — South Tenerife Cetacean Association
South Tenerife whale-watching companies united for cetacean conservation and the dignity of the activity.
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Member
World Cetacean Alliance
The world’s largest alliance for the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises, with Picarus in its responsible-operator directory.
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Signatory company
Sustainability Charter for Whale Watching
The voluntary commitment of Tenerife’s whale-watching companies to cetaceans and the marine environment, driven by Turismo de Tenerife.
Learn more → -
Contributor
Calderones de Canarias
Citizen science: over 500 tropical pilot whales photo-identified in Canary waters with the help of the crews.
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Contributor
Tonina Association
Canarian biologists dedicated to marine research and outreach: cetaceans, turtles and sharks.
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Come and visit us!
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