Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka on June 3, 2026, greets the first passengers on El Escudo, a hybrid 350-passenger vessel created in partnership with the L.A. Port, Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach. The craft features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. (Photo Courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)
El Escudo, the new hybrid, 350-passenger vessel, hosts first-time passengers on June 3, 2026, in Los Angeles Harbor. The craft will operate in both the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and is part of the fleet operated by Harbor Breeze Cruises. (Photo Courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)
A new hybrid, 350-passenger vessel — El Escudo — made its debut recently at the Port of Los Angeles. Part of the Harbor Breeze Cruises fleet serving both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — and with a new base at the newly established at San Pedro’s West Harbor waterfront attraction — the vessel features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. (Photo Courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)
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Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka on June 3, 2026, greets the first passengers on El Escudo, a hybrid 350-passenger vessel created in partnership with the L.A. Port, Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach. The craft features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. (Photo Courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)
A new hybrid, 350-passenger vessel — El Escudo — made its debut recently at the Port of Los Angeles.
Created in partnership with the L.A. Port, Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board and the Port of Long Beach, the harbor craft features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. It will be berthed at the Port of Los Angeles but will serve both ports (Los Angeles and Long Beach) in the San Pedro Bay.
For nearly 20 years, Harbor Breeze Cruises has delivered whale watching and harbor cruises along the coastlines of Los Angeles and Orange counties. It also now operates out of West Harbor, San Pedro’s new, emerging waterfront development set to open in stages throughout the summer.
“This new hybrid passenger vessel is just the beginning of our efforts to help reduce our operational emissions in the San Pedro Bay,” Harbor Breeze Cruises founder and owner Dan Salas said in a written comment, adding that the company is “committed to helping create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable harbor for everyone.”
The vessel, which is also envisioned to be used during L.A.’s 2028 Olympic Games, features a parallel hybrid propulsion system, enabling operation in fully electric (zero-emission), diesel, or hybrid modes. It exceeds U.S. EPA Tier 4 and CARB Commercial Harbor Craft emissions standards.
As part of its operational plan, the vessel will operate at least 30% of the time in zero-emission mode, with some trips achieving 100% zero-emission operations, depending on route and runtime requirements.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka called the vessel “a great example of what can be achieved when we work together toward and invest in a zero-emission future.”
El Escudo has the capacity to operate for up to two hours on battery power alone with zero emissions, Seroka said.
It is, he said, “proof that the future of clean transport isn’t just possible — it’s already happening.”
Harbor Breeze Cruises offers scenic harbor tours, whale watching excursions, and special event cruises that showcase the natural beauty and vibrant maritime culture of the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex.
The latest investment in clean energy, Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker said, is another significant step forward.
“Our harbor communities have for generations powered the economy of this region, and we deserve to see investments in clean infrastructure that will enable everyone to breathe cleaner air,” McOsker, whose 15th District includes the port, said in a written statement. “The launch of El Escudo is an important step forward, demonstrating how new technologies can help reduce emissions and improve air quality for neighborhoods surrounding the port. I am proud to see the Port of Los Angeles and Harbor Breeze Cruises leading the way in innovation and environmental stewardship.”
Development and testing were conducted under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction Project, supported by a $31 million CARB grant and $30 million in project partner matching funds, to test and evaluate two different harbor craft emission-reduction technologies.
The project is part of Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology, a program administered by the CARB and funded through California Climate Investments.
The Harbor Breeze Cruises Zero-Emission Advanced Technology vessels and Catalina Channel Express high-speed ferry operating on renewable diesel with Tier 4 engines are projected to reduce more than 60 tons of emissions annually.
“This project highlights how strategic partnerships can accelerate the adoption of cleaner maritime technologies,” Peter Christensen, air resources supervisor at CARB, said in a written statement. “Deploying vessels like El Escudo helps improve air quality and public health through reduced emissions, and advance solutions that can be replicated statewide.”
Harbor Breeze Cruises invested $7.5 million in the vessel’s development and is advancing additional low- and zero-emission vessels. A second hybrid vessel under the LA MER project, with an additional $7.5 million in match share, and a third vessel, funded separately, are currently in development.
As part of the grant, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach each committed to contributing $250,000 to support a technology evaluation study of harbor craft vessels and technologies. Both ports will also provide funding for at least 50 excursion trips each on the zero-emission capable vessels over the 12-month project demonstration period.
In addition to the CARB grant, the Port of Los Angeles has committed $2.45 million and the Port of Long Beach $1.05 million through the joint Technology Advancement Program to support the development of harbor craft charging infrastructure and additional vessel technologies that were not available at the time of the original grant award.