Scorpio News
Scorpio Achieves Highest Sapphire Tier Recognition in California’s Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program
After the February announcement of achieving Sapphire Tier with the State of California Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies (BWBS) Vessel Speed Reduction Program, Captain Stanley Wendelewski, Director of Environmental Compliance, was invited to attend the BWBS Award Ceremony at the Port of Oakland, near San Francisco. The event recognized the top-performing shipping lines that participated in the 2025 Season Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) program and celebrated the myriad of program supporters who are committed to safer whales, cleaner air and a quieter ocean.
In addition to the awards presentation, a series of panel-style discussions were hosted with the aim of sharing lessons learned as well as unique perspectives across multiple industries that highlight the efforts made related to whale conservation and broader climate and air-quality protection initiatives. Shipping Lines, Logistics and Supply Chain Managers, Engineering Companies and Environmental Conservation Groups were in attendance for an afternoon of open discussions and experience sharing, covering topics such as Leadership in Biodiversity and Air Quality Protection, Supporting Responsible Shipping and Supply Chains, and Global Whale Conservation efforts.
Capt. Stanley was impressed by the variety of participants outside of shipping in attendance, all committed to a cleaner, more responsible global supply chain. He found the entire gathering to be “enthusiastic” and dedicated to supporting the program’s mission.
California State Assemblyman Gregg Hart, of Santa Barbara made a presentation to the group. It was Assemblyman Hart who spearheaded the legislation establishing the California “Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program”, officially signed into California state law in October 2025. The initiative aims to reduce air pollution, minimize fatal ship strikes on endangered whales, and lower underwater noise by encouraging ships to voluntarily travel at 10 knots or less.
The BWBS program assigns performance tiers to participants that travel a certain percentage of distance in the designated VSR Zones at 10 Kts or less during the whale mating season. The performance tiers are:
Sapphire (90 % or more)
Gold (70% or more)
Blue Sky (50% or more)
Participant (30% or more)
In previous years, Scorpio has repeatedly achieved Gold Tier, but as our crew have become more aware of the VSR Program and more sensitive to the importance of lowering speed below 10 knots, we have reached our top-tier goal.
For the 2025 season (1 May 2025 to 15 Jan 2026), Scorpio Vessels achieved a 91% participation rate, successfully achieving Sapphire Tier and earning us the Sapphire Award.
This recognition highlights Scorpio’s continued commitment to best-in-class Environmental Stewardship practices across the fleet, which translates to positive and meaningful ecological balance and sustainability.
Capt. Stanley acknowledges the teamwork involved in the achievement, saying: “I am proud that through collaboration with the global offices and managers, we were able to achieve the top-tier this year… 91 % is a great number, however, there is always room to improve and do better.”
Each year, the BWBS program provides a detailed report on the vessel traffic, including an itemized list of the nautical miles travelled and the percentage they travelled at 10 knots or less. The majority of our vessels complied at or near 100% of their miles. An impressive result!
Capt. Stanley applauds the efforts of our crew for this milestone: “The seafarers are the ones who are on the front lines and make achievements like this possible. At the end of the day, this is their achievement and award and they should be recognized for all that they do onboard.”