From a Blessing to a Shared Mission: EcoBoats Helping Protect the Bay of Kotor

On Friday, July 10, EcoBoats had the honour of taking part in an underwater clean-up campaign in the Bay of Kotor, providing logistical support to the diving team led by Fr. Željko Pasković.

Our vessel departed from Pine Marina in Tivat at approximately 11:30 a.m. and headed towards Stoliv, where Fr. Željko Pasković and a team of seven divers came aboard. Before continuing to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, Fr. Željko blessed the participants and then held a detailed safety briefing, providing clear instructions to both the diving team and our skipper, Predrag Bojat. Particular attention was given to safety, ensuring that the dive zone would be properly secured in one of the busiest navigation areas of the Bay of Kotor, where tourist boats and private vessels pass throughout the day.

During the voyage to Our Lady of the Rocks, our skipper, Predrag Bojat, began coordinating safety operations by using VHF radio and other communication channels to notify nearby vessels of the clean-up operation and the designated dive zone. Upon arrival, he continued directing marine traffic to ensure that no vessel endangered the divers while they were underwater.

Once at Our Lady of the Rocks, the divers immediately began their work. Although the dive was scheduled to last one hour, it continued well beyond that due to the amount of debris and the complexity of the operation. A significant quantity of waste was removed from the seabed, including cans, plastic, metal objects and other debris that had been polluting the marine environment for years.

One of the most memorable moments came when Fr. Željko Pasković surfaced with valuable stained-glass panels believed to have originated from the island itself. Holding them in his hands, he smiled and said, “This is a sign from God!”

Later in the operation, Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro, joined the volunteers and helped retrieve the collected waste.

The debris was then transferred onto the deck of our vessel and transported to the Church of the Holy Name of Mary, built in 1774, where it was temporarily stored before being collected by the municipal utility service for proper disposal.

During the visit to the island, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić also took the opportunity to meet with Ivan Petrović, CEO of EcoBoats. He visited our vessel, learned more about our mission and our project to develop electric maritime transport in the Bay of Kotor, and expressed his interest in and support for our green initiative and plans to expand our fleet.

For EcoBoats, participating in this initiative meant far more than providing logistical support. It reaffirmed that protecting the Bay of Kotor requires the combined efforts of local communities, public institutions, diving teams and responsible businesses committed to sustainable development and environmental stewardship.

We are grateful to everyone who took part in this meaningful initiative and proud to have contributed to preserving one of the Mediterranean's most beautiful bays. We hope that actions like this will inspire even stronger cooperation among all those dedicated to keeping the Bay of Kotor clean, healthy and protected for future generations.