Travel & Tourism Awards 2020

www.lux-review.com Page 21 what their age or ability. Keith only takes small parties out, with just a maximum of 12 people on board at any one time, providing everyone with lots of space along with a very personalised service. He has one permanent member of staff, Georgia, a zoology graduate who began with AK Wildlife Cruises as a volunteer and has since become a valued crew mate. Still very much growing as an award-winning wildlife and sightseeing tour business, with improvements being continually made, the future is bright for Captain Keith and Georgia. His beloved Free Spirit has recently been equipped with an interactive live feed display through a large monitor screen to increased creature comforts on board, and Keith is currently looking at potentially increasing the size of his vessels by purchasing a large catamaran which will not only provide more deck space throughout, but an increased level of stability. Keith is passionate about his work and does his utmost to support all the conservation groups that he works closely with in order to help promote their conservation initiatives. AK Wildlife Cruises is endorsed by the Seawatch foundation as a recommended boat operator with WiSe and Whale & Dolphin Conservation, causing minimal impact to the environment, and is also a proud supporter of MARINElife. Keith records all the wildlife seen on every trip and shares the cetacean sightings data freely with various Wildlife Trusts and organisations to help monitor and protect all the animals in Falmouth’s beautiful wildlife rich waters. Last year, Keith documented more than 8,300 animals from six different cetacean species. He also regularly undertakes plankton and plastic trawls with local beach cleaners and University researchers to investigate levels of microplastic pollution and raise awareness of just how vital it is to protect the marine communities. Company: AK Wildlife Cruises Web Address: www.akwildlifecruises.co.uk