© Gliezes/Greenpeace |
Whale watching is a burgeoning industry. Practised in more
than 87 countries, it generates US$1 billion in revenue worldwide
each year, more than 20 times the net revenue of commercial
whaling operations, and attracts more than nine million participants.
The global whale watching industry has grown rapidly since its
inception in the early 1980s. On average, the number of whale
watchers has increased by 21.1 percent each year from 1991 through
1998. The total expenditure whale watchers spent on tours alone
has grown at a similar rate of 21.4 percent per year. (1) |
Whale watching can effectively combine economic benefits and whale
conservation, as long as whale watching businesses take the necessary
precautions to protect whales. Boat operators, for example, must
take care to ensure that whales are approached properly and observed
from a safe distance. As long as a precautionary approach is adopted,
whale watching businesses can help promote an appreciation for marine
conservation, provide important data on whale populations and benefit
their communities through revenue from tourism.
Whale watching businesses do not necessarily require large amounts
of capital, and thus are viable options for poor coastal nations.
Whale watching can take many forms. Boat-based tours are the most
popular accounting for 72 percent of all whale watching and can
include anything ranging from kayaks to ferries. Land-based whale
watching is also common: more than 2.55 million people in ten countries
in 2000 participated in land-based whale watching making up 28 percent
of all whale watching.
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In addition to the economic benefits, whale watching also
offers major advantages to the community. Coastal countries
that adopt a pro-conservation policy on whales, for example,
have reported a greater awareness of marine conservation issues
generally and a sense of pride that develops within their
communities. Furthermore, the other tourist attractions of
countries where whale watching is conducted become better
publicized through the work of wildlife photographers, writers
and filmmakers that come to observe whales. Whale watching
and pro-conservation policies have also proved to be essential
to those countries that depend on their natural, peaceful
public image for promoting tourism.
(1) Figures from Erich Hoyt, IFAW Report: Whale Watching
2000: Worldwide Tourism Numbers, Expenditures and Expanding
Socio-Economic Benefits.
Tongan
Stories of Whale Watching
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© Hyde/Greenpeace |
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