Whale watching responsible tourism

Dylan Walker, founder of the World Cetacean Alliance: "Whale watching is growing at an alarming rate in some parts of the world and needs to be managed carefully to provide the best customer experience and minimise impact on the whales. Most tourists have no idea that there are issues associated with watching whales in the wild, as it is difficult to know when a whale is under stress if you aren't an expert. But when done well, whale watching is also a tremendous force for good. It should be about having a mind-blowing experience, and for those who get it right it can be life-changing. There are only a small number of companies really providing a quality, first class experience. The leaders in the field are the whale watching destinations that are thinking beyond competition, such as Madeira, where the whale watching companies all work closely together, following the national park's whale watching guidelines. Often guidelines are simply imposed, but on Madeira, the park was wise to consult with the people doing the whale watching, not just scientists. This empowered all the operators and created a tight knit network and, therefore, a better experience for everyone."

The growing trend for land-based whale watching (and this does not mean watching them in a tank in captivity, horrors of horrors) is taking off big time in South Africa, Hawaii, Scotland and Norway. Land-based whale watching is so much less invasive not only in terms of human contact but also from diesel and other pollutants. They are also a dream for anyone who suffers from motion sickness. In the Azores special lookout towers called 'vigias' exist that were built to assist whaling boats back in the day. Now they are used for tourism purposes and you can climb some of them to try your luck.

One of the most popular places is Hermanus in South Africa which has become famous for its land based whale watching between June and December, when southern right whales migrate from Antarctica to these warmer waters. The town even has a 'whale crier' to let people know what sightings are to be had.

Tim Stenton, wildlife photographer and author Moray Firth Dolphins: "In some locations for example Moray Firth, Scotland and Monkey Mia, Western Australia there are excellent land based opportunities. Other than the impacts of getting to the locations, land based will always have a lower environmental footprint - both in terms of CO2 emissions and impact on the animals than boat based watching. It is also cheaper, more suitable for younger children with no risk of being seasick."

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was originally formed to regulate commercial whaling, but since the global moratorium on whaling was put in place in 1986, the IWC’s role has broadened to include the coordination of global efforts to research threats to cetaceans, including habitat degradation and entanglement in nets. They also research the impact of whale watching on whales, and have compiled in-depth information about best practices, and are a font of information on the subject, ensuring guidelines are available to operators and national regulators, who are ultimately responsible for the management of whale watching in their countries. Iceland and Norway are the only two countries in the world to authorise whaling in defiance of this moratorium and, ironically, both countries also offer whale watching tours, too.

However, even though there are guidelines and codes of practice, there is very little policing or control. Blanket codes of conduct are ineffective. It is purely good, compassionate and ethical practice that makes a good responsible whale watching adventure the best thing in the world for animals and people alike.

Kate Wilson, IWC: "One key bit of information that helps customers identify responsible, sustainable operators is whether they adhere to safe approach distances. Of course this is hard to judge when you’re out on the water, but many national regulations include maximum approach distances and you might expect to see these referred to in promotional literature for responsible operators."