Abstract
Whale watching has experienced rapid growth worldwide while management of the industry has typically lagged behind, assumed an apparent precautionary approach, and lacked an ecological understanding of the species of focus. Considering both socioeconomic and ecological factors in tandem and not as isolated circumstances is important when managing wildlife and related tourism activities, including whale watching. The goal of this article is to address the research gap between social and ecological components in wildlife tourism management using a case study from the University of Victoria Whale Research Lab that has been collecting ecological data surrounding gray whale presence in Clayoquot Sound, Canada for almost 30 years. Results indicate that the boat behavior with respect to whales as well as whale-watching industry pressure depend on the ecological factors that contribute to whale presence. Based on this information, I propose five management recommendations that promote sustainable development and use of the commercial whale-watching industry.
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