Whale-watching Industry Research Articles

Migratory movement of photo-identified humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae along the southeastern coast of Africa

The global conservation of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae relies on continuous assessments of the populations’ post-whaling status, which in turn require information on population mixing and movements. One of the seven breeding stocks in the Southern Hemisphere, breeding stock C and its associated four substocks (C1–C4), utilises the western Indian Ocean in several discrete breeding grounds. However, information on the mixing of stocks across breeding grounds is limited. This study utilises photo-identification methods applied to the first multi-regional catalogue of fluke images available for substock C1S (the southern component of substock C1) which uses the southern portion of the breeding ground, developed as part of this study, to investigate the whales’ movements along the southeastern coast of southern Africa. The identification of 1 746 unique individuals, including 11 withinyear matches and 48 between-year matches of 45 individuals, provides new insight into the intra-regional migration patterns, fidelity and structure of substock C1S. The within-year match results confirmed that individual humpback whales are broadly seasonally present for extended periods and visit multiple subregions along this coast, while the between-year matches revealed long-term fidelity to this coastline. Moreover, five of the between-year matches between subregions in South Africa and Mozambique linked the South African migration corridor to the breeding ground in southern and central Mozambique. These findings provide valuable insights into the movement patterns of substock C1S and significantly address the challenges of effective population management, which includes difficulties associated with the whale-watching industry on the east coast of South Africa.

Developing cetacean-friendly guidelines, from whale watching to offshore wind farm operation

Developing offshore wind farms may impact cetaceans due to vessel collisions and underwater noise. Therefore, it is critical to protect cetaceans while developing offshore wind farms. We first studied the code of conduct/guidelines for whale watching and then interviewed members of the local whale-watching industry to learn about the interaction between cetaceans and vessels. After that, we compared current whale-watching guidelines in Taiwan with 69 published guidelines from other countries and locations, then developed guidelines for the offshore wind farm industry. The results show that rules related to approaching and interacting with cetaceans in Taiwan are similar to those in other countries. However, swimming with cetaceans and approaching calves are prohibited in Taiwan. From the survey of the whale-watching industry, most whale-watching guidelines in Taiwan were found to be feasible, and the guidelines should be described in the premise with different phenotypic traits of various cetaceans. Based on the whale-watching guidelines, we developed a code of conduct for protecting cetaceans from the impact of vessels, specifically in offshore wind farm operations in Taiwan.

Behavioural responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to whalewatching boats near Isla de la Plata, Machalilla National Park, Ecuador

Machalilla National Park, on the coast of mainland Ecuador, supports a growing whalewatching industry that focuses on Southern Hemisphere humpback whales, which spend the austral winter (June-September) in this area. This study was designed to measure short-term reactions of whales to the whalewatching vessel activity typically seen in this area for two reasons: (1) to identify the nature of whales’ avoidance response, if any, in order to draft whalewatching guidelines that help local mariners identify when they may be disturbing whales; and (2) to quantify the magnitude of any avoidance response, to examine how this relatively understudied population behaves around boats compared with whales in other whalewatching areas. A shore-based theodolite tracking team created a ‘natural’ experiment to observe relationships between whalewatching traffic and whale behaviour in 1998 and 1999. Swim speed and path directness of humpback whales were measured in the absence of boats, and how those parameters changed when boats arrived was recorded. When whales entered the study area accompanied by boats, a record was made of how their behaviour changed after the boats left. Humpback whales reacted to the approach of whalewatching boats by increasing swim speed significantly, and adopted a much more direct path after boats left. Future research is needed to determine whether responses vary with number, proximity or type of vessel. Similarly, future studies are recommended to determine whether different age-sex classes vary in vulnerability to disturbance. Meanwhile, this study enables provision of much-needed, practical advice to local operators who are concerned that they may be disturbing whales: one way that mariners can tell if they are causing disturbance is if they need to increase their vessel’s speed to keep pace. The average behavioural responses measured were strong enough to recommend that Machalilla National Park adopt precautionary management procedures to limit number and proximity of vessels.

Effects of whale-watching activities on southern right whales in Encounter Bay, South Australia

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are listed as Endangered under the Australian EPBC Act 1999. They migrate to shallow, coastal waters during the winter to mate, calve and nurse their young. During this time, they are easily accessible to the boat-based whale-watching industry. The aim of the study was to determine if whale-watching at 300 m distance affects the behaviour of southern right whales. To achieve this, behavioural focal follows on mother-calf pairs were conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the presence and absence of a commercial whale-watching vessel. There was no significant effect of phase (control, before, during, after) on the whales’ respiration rate, swim speed, nursing rate and duration, maternal rate of active behaviours, tactile contact or calf pectoral fin contact. There was a significant reduction in resting between control and after phases, for both mothers (from 62% to 30%) and calves (from 16% to 1%). At 300 m distance and slow speed, vessel noise was measured to be slightly above ambient noise at the lower TOL0.25 kHz band, however, vessel noise was masked by ambient noise within the higher frequency TOL2–10 kHz bands. A factor which may have contributed to a decline in resting after whale-watch approaches, was an increase in vessel speed upon departure, which consequently increased vessel noise. Based on this, we recommend that vessels maintain a slow speed (e.g., ≤10 knots) within 1 km distance from the whales whilst conducting whale-watch activities.

Whale-watching tourism as a driving force for socioeconomic development in Puerto López, Machalilla National Park, Manabí, Ecuador

We aim to analyze the socioeconomic impact of the whale-watching industry in one of the poorest areas in Ecuador. Puerto López, in Manabí, went from being a fishing village to leading the whale-watching industry in Ecuador. Thanks to the tourist attraction of humpback whales, the number of tourists in the area has increased by 15,000% since 1980, concentrated mainly around the whale season months of June to September. As a result, tourism services and employment opportunities also increased, bringing development and a better lifestyle to the region. The industry has become so important to the region that its value was estimated at USD 4.5 million in 2019. However, we consider this to be a conservative estimate and suggest that the real value may be even greater. Whale-watching benefits are not only economic: whales have brought a sense of identity to the region, which has worked to promote whale conservation laws at the national level. In recent years, the emergence of illegal whale-watching tour operators has become a threat to the industry, the region's economy, and the protection of the species, necessitating immediate action by the authorities.

Evolution and growth

Evolution is a constant process. Living beings, human societies, people, countries, and knowledge evolve, among many other aspects. Mammalia æquatorialis is no stranger to this process of change. Starting with this issue, we have adopted English as the official language: first in our digital magazine, but over the course of the next year, we will translate our website. This does not mean that we will stop publishing articles or scientific notes in our mother tongue. Submissions in Spanish will be welcome for all those who wish to publish in this language; however, starting with this issue, we will prefer to receive submissions in the language of science, which will allow the scientific material that we publish to reach a wider audience. Issue 4 of Mammalia æquatorialis opens with two articles that document the richness of mammals in two regions of the country. The first one focuses on a camera-trap study carried out in the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, a natural area a few kilometers from the city of Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. This proximity means that the wildlife present there faces several threats due to the pressure that the large urban center exerts on the small nature reserve. Despite this, the study recorded 16 species of native mammals, among them two primates (Alouatta palliata and Cebus aequatorialis) that are critically endangered in the country. The second study was carried out in small fragments of Andean forest south of the city of Quito. The study used pitfall traps to record eight species of small mammals. Among them, the mouse Thomasomys vulcani stands out as the most abundant species, despite being categorized as Vulnerable according to the Lista Roja de los mamíferos del Ecuador (Tirira, 2021). The abundance of T. vulcani is perhaps an indicator that its conservation status is better than suspected, and it would be worthwhile to carry out complementary studies in other locations to confirm it. Issue 4 of Mammalia æquatorialis continues with two other articles based on geographic distribution models for other threatened species. The first deals with the Ecuadorian Brown-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps fusciceps), a species categorized as Critically Endangered and considered one of the 25 most threatened primate species in the world. The study confirms that this primate has lost an important area of its natural habitat (the forests of the northern coast of Ecuador), and its projected conservation for 2050 is not encouraging, since the effects of climate change and fragmentation will further reduce the scarce natural forests that it occupies. The second article investigates the availability of habitat for the Northern Pudu (Pudu mephistophiles), a species of deer categorized as Endangered on the Lista Roja de los mamíferos del Ecuador (Tirira, 2021). The distribution model generated was based on data from the northern population, which covers the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and the extreme north of Peru, north of the Huancabamba Depression. The study updates its distribution in Colombia, confirming that the species is likely only present in the Cordillera Central of the Andes, since the records in the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Oriental have not been confirmed. Also, the model indicates that the most suitable habitats for Pudu mephistophiles (northern population) are in the high parts of the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador and that temperature is the main climatic variable that influences its distribution. The last article of number 4 of Mammalia æquatorialis offers an analysis of the socioeconomic impact of the whale-watching industry in Puerto López, a small village in southern Manabí, due to the attraction of the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). As a result, tourism services and employment opportunities have increased, bringing development and a better lifestyle to the region. Unlike the endangered species in the previous articles, the Humpback Whale is one of the few mammals to have been removed from conservation categories in the latest edition of the Lista Roja de los mamíferos del Ecuador (Tirira, 2021), as it is now treated as a Least Concern species. One of the reasons for this change in category is the recovery of their populations, apparently supported in part by the increase in whale tourism in various regions of the planet. This is the fourth issue of Mammalia æquatorialis. We are evolving and growing. Thanks for being with us.

Conservation Hub: The Added Value of the Whale-Watching Industry

Nature-based tourism activities are often sold as ‘ecotourism’, yet not all are educational, environmentally friendly, provide economic benefits to local communities, nor help achieve conservation goals. Whale-watching has the potential for ecotourism due to opportunities for supporting cetacean research, environmental education, and community engagement. Whalesafari, the first whale-watching company in the Arctic, is based in Norway and combines whale-watching with research, interpretation, and benefits for the local community. Researchers from around the world have carried out research on several aspects of sperm whales (the main target species), from abundance to diving behaviour, as well as other species. Tourists learn about cetaceans during a guided experience in the company’s museum before the trip. This whale-watching model has attracted over 350,000 tourists over the years, benefiting the local community (e.g., hotels, restaurants, other attractions). Tourism and whale research can establish synergistic relationships, involving several agents and promoting research careers, while at the same time leading to innovative advances in the ecology and tourism fields. Here, we summarise over 30 years of whale-watching eco-tourism activities and research in Northern Norway, highlighting synergistic examples and the opportunities opened through linking marine tourism and research.

Filmmaking, Affective Communication, and the Construction of Tourism Imaginaries: Putting The Wow Into Sustainable Whale Watching

The advent of filmmaking provided a means for affective communication, whereby what was real and what was filmed became conflated, helping to create tourism imaginaries that, in turn, drove tourism. However, increased tourism created negative impacts, especially for charismatic subjects like whales that elicit strong emotional responses of connectedness in viewers. In the whale-watching industry, getting too close to whales to satisfy visitor expectations has a major detrimental impact. Here, we test whether the very characteristics of film that have helped create the problem, might be used to fix the problem by re-creating tourism imaginaries and changing visitor expectations. We produced a video about sustainable whale watching using a formula designed specifically to enhance its affective and emotional qualities. Survey respondents were randomly assigned to Test and Control Groups, and shown the video either before or after recording their likelihood of going whale watching in the future. Those in both groups that were Likely or Very Likely to go whale watching identified affective qualities of the video nearly identically. Elements of the video associated with affective communication (imagery of whales in their natural environment and authentic reactions of tourists seeing whales) were most liked equally by Test and Control Group subjects. However, significantly less of the Test Group found the imagery of close encounters between whales and humans to be their favorite aspect of the video, while significantly more of them noted that the clarity of the message or the way it was told (editing) were their most liked aspects. In sum, the affective features of filmmaking that influence tourism imaginaries, also offer the potential to thwart the negative effects of tourism by invoking changes in attitudinal and behavioral intentions that should lead to more sustainable tourism practices.

Spatial and temporal characterization of the exposure of island-associated cetacean populations to whale-watching in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic)

The whale-watching industry can represent a critical anthropogenic stressor for the targeted populations. Identifying and characterizing the individual exposure to wildlife tourism in island-associated cetacean communities is especially relevant in small, remote oceanic regions relying on tourism. This study characterized the spatial and temporal variation of the whale-watching pressure on common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in Madeira Island and identified the most exposed portion of the population, making use of diverse long-term datasets (i.e. sighting data, photographic data and vessels’ tracks) obtained year-round from platforms of opportunity (whale-watching operators) and proposing a new descriptive index which estimates the cumulative exposure rates. Core areas of encounters with the whale-watching vessels were identified off the capital city of Funchal. A daily average of 6.5 (±2.2 SD) vessels were concurring in this area, with a significantly higher number recorded between May and October and a peak of 14 vessels in August. From a total of 367 identified bottlenose dolphins and 536 pilot whales, a minimum of 6% and 10%, respectively, were identified as island-associated individuals. Cumulative exposure rates for these individuals could reach levels over two times higher than the general trend for both species. A higher proportion of island-associated bottlenose dolphins were recorded in the winter season. In contrast, island-associated pilot whales were predominant (over 50%) or in a high proportion (over 40%) year-round. The present study highlights the importance of using data from platforms of opportunity to investigate anthropogenic stressors, as tourism-based cetacean observation. It also provides insights into the whale-watching pressure on island-associated individuals occurring in oceanic areas and calls attention to the need of monitoring the fitness and well-being of these wildlife populations in Madeira Archipelago, an outermost European region.

Caribbean Country Characteristics Associated With Whale Watch Industry Success

Whale watching can be a valuable economic activity in coastal communities, and provide incentives to protect cetaceans. However, it also has negative impacts on cetacean populations, so it is necessary plan for this industry in areas where the economic benefits are higher relative to the environmental costs, and can provide higher incentives for cetacean conservation. An ordinary least squares regression was carried out on country-level data for the Caribbean in order to determine what country characteristics are associated with whale-watching expenditures. The results suggest that small to medium-scale tourism development likely has the most beneficial relationship with the whale-watching industry. A complex relationship with cetacean conservation was apparent in the analysis due to positive associations of expenditure with efforts to protect cetaceans from whale-watching harassment, but a negative association with the international agreements necessary to manage free-range marine species.

Addressing dynamic uncertainty in the whale-watching industry under climate change and system shocks

Whale-watching is a global tourism industry whose annual revenue exceeds two billion dollars. Australia is a key player in this industry, especially on the east and west coast where humpback whales migrate each year between their breeding and feeding grounds. However, the global whale-watching industry faces uncertainty from changing whale migration patterns, with whales progressively ‘arriving’ at the traditional whale-watching areas earlier than in previous years/decades. If the whale-watching industry cannot evolve with these changing dynamics then the arrival of the whales might be missed resulting in a potential loss of revenue. This social-ecological issue has suddenly been exacerbated by the disruption to tourism caused by the global pandemic COVID-19. In this study, we use a systems modelling framework, which combines qualitative and quantitative processes, to evaluate the social-ecological system behaviour of the whale-watching industry. We apply this systems approach to the Gold Coast, one of Australia's premier tourist destinations and home to a vibrant whale-watching industry. The outcome of this systems assessment is that the efficacy of the whale-watching industry is affected through determinants of both supply (ability to respond to changes in whale behaviour) and demand (attractiveness of whale-watching). Furthermore, the recovery time of all tourism after COVID-19 will take years if not decades.

Clear waters: assessing regulation transparency of website advertising in South Africa’s boat-based whale-watching industry

Long-term sustainability of South Africa’s boat-based whale-watching (BBWW) industry requires any desired growth to be achieved within sustainable parameters. Given that advertising is often the first point of exposure for potential tourists, transparency regarding permit regulations that support sustainable tourism and manage tourist expectations is important. To assess transparency, textual information and photographic content from 17 South African government permitted BBWW company websites were analysed. Regulation-related information in textual content was low across all websites (5-28% of sentences extracted); 91% of photographs containing whales, and 55% containing dolphins, appeared non-compliant for distance of vessel to animal. These results demonstrate that misleading advertising may result in tourist expectations that conflict with legal requirements for a sustainable industry and can place operators under pressure to provide the experiences as advertised. Solutions to address this problem and promote ecological sustainability in the industry include clearer advertising guidelines in permit regulations, standardised resources supplied to industry for advertising and tourist education, and greater awareness of advertising effects and how to positively promote regulations in website content.

Changing patterns of habitat use by southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on their nursery ground at Península Valdés, Argentina, and in their long-range movements

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) have been studied on their nursery ground at Península Valdés, Argentina, every year since 1970. Since 1990, 1,208 individuals have been identified from photographs taken during annual aerial surveys; 618 whales were seen in two or more years. Patterns of habitat use have changed during the study in ways which suggest that right whales may be capable of substantial behavioral and ecological flexibility. One male and three females from Península Valdés have been sighted on other nursery grounds (Tristan da Cunha and southern Brazil). Three individuals from Península Valdés were sighted on feeding grounds off Shag Rocks and South Georgia. Some right whales from Península Valdés showed carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios very similar to those seen in right whales off South Africa, while others showed distinctive isotope ratios indicating that they fed in a different area. Whales of all ages and both sexes moved frequently between three major regions of concentration on the Península Valdés nursery ground. Subadults and adult females with calves were resighted at higher rates than adult males and females in non-calf years. Changes in the geographic distribution of whales at the Península include: (1) abandonment of a major region of concentration; (2) establishment of a nursery area adjacent to thecentre of a growing whalewatching industry; and (3) small-scale shifts in distribution, possibly in response to natural and human disturbances.

Recommendations for Sustainable Cetacean-Based Tourism in French Territories: A Review on the Industry and Current Management Actions

Whale-watching activities provide important socioeconomic benefits for local communities and constitute powerful platform incentives for marine mammals' protection or more broadly marine environments. However, these activities can cause adverse effects on targeted populations, with considerable downside associated risks of injuries and fatality for whale watchers during inwater interactions. France with its overseas territories has the second largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in which more than half of existing cetacean species are encountered. In these territories, recreational and commercial whale watching, including swim-with cetacean activities, have recently developed. Yet few studies focused on these activities and their associated impacts across French territories, leading to an unclear assessment of the situation. To address this issue, we reviewed cetaceans' occurrence within the French EEZ, whale-watching industry, targeted species, local management of marine mammal-based tourism activities, and regulations in France mainland and some overseas territories (Reunion Island, Mayotte, and French Polynesia). Fortyeight species are encountered in the French EEZ, and 15 are targeted by whale-watching activities. A total of 185 operators, including 34% offering swim-with-cetaceans tours, offered trips in France and overseas in 2019. While several more or less restrictive regulations exist locally, our results indicate that French's national legal framework for marine mammals' protection remains inadequate and insufficient to cope with the recent development of this activity. As conservation biologists, managers, and stakeholders from these French territories, we cooperated to provide general guidelines for a sustainable development of whale watching at a national scale. We urge (1) to legally acknowledge and regulate whale-watching commercial activities; (2) to create a national legal framework regarding whale watching and swim-with marine mammals practices, while accounting for local distinctiveness and disparities across regions; (3) to conduct more research to evaluate local short- and long-term impacts on targeted marine mammal populations as well as the socioeconomic benefits; and (4) to reinforce synergetic relations between the different stakeholders.

Conservation Benefits of Whale Watching in Juneau, Alaska

An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching industry. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experience can foster environmental awareness and support for protection of whales and the environment. However, the sustainability of the industry could be jeopardized if increasing whale-watching vessel pressure affects the health of its resource, the whales. This study investigates whether participation in whale-watching tours in Juneau, AK can support conservation of whales and the environment. Participant knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors were obtained from 2,331 respondents in surveys before, after, and 6 months after a whale-watching tour during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Following a whale watch, the percentage of participants that indicated whale watching as a knowledge source increased (p = 0.022), awareness of guidelines and regulations doubled (p < 0.001), and strong support for regulations increased (p = 0.016). Six months later, these responses remained significantly higher than before the whale watch. Despite knowledge of distance threshold increasing after a whale watch (p = 0.003) and 6 months after (p = 0.021), getting close to whales remained an important factor in a participant's whale watch. Participants had a higher likelihood of strongly supporting guidelines and regulations if they indicated that boats can have a negative impact on whales or were aware of guidelines and regulations. Lastly, participants that acknowledged negative effects on whales from boats had higher overall proenvironmental attitudes. This study indicates that incorporating messages that facilitate participant awareness of guidelines/regulations and the purpose of those measures can support conservation and protection of local whale populations through managing participant expectations and ultimately encouraging operator compliance.

To Educate or not to Educate: How the Lack of Education Programs on Whale-Watching Vessels Can Impact Whale Conservation and Tourism in the Dominican Republic

Whales are watched in over 119 countries and territories earning $2.1 billion in revenue, with large growth seen in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has the largest whale-watching industry in the Caribbean. Although the industry thrives in the Dominican Republic, on-board education programs are lacking. Currently in Samaná Bay, only one of approximately 45 vessels offers a formal education program. In an effort to increase education and better tailor current education programs, a survey-based study was conducted to assess the conservation knowledge of whale-watching tourists. Only 5% of tourists considered themselves to be "very knowledgeable" about whales. Those who had been whale watching before were more likely to consider themselves as knowledgeable, whereas those who had not been whale watching were more likely to consider themselves less knowledgeable. Public education on whale conservation was ranked very or moderately important by over 80% of respondents. However, 29% of tourists did not know Samaná Bay was a protected area. To improve tourist's knowledge and conservation awareness, it is recommended a multilingual education program be created on all whale-watching vessels and that these programs have more conservationbased knowledge within them.

The Visitor Perceptions on Whale-watching Tours based on Mirissa, Sri Lanka

Whale-watching is one of the fastest-growing sectors of wildlife tourism in the world. The waters off Sri Lanka have been identified as important habitats for Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus); a species listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Coastal destinations of Mirissa in the south-west, Trincomalee in the north-east and Kalpitiya on the west coast have emerged as popular places for whale watching, especially among foreigners. However, unregulated boat-based tourism and related visitor disturbance on cetacean populations inhabiting these waters has now become a serious concern. Social media at present is playing an important role as major information sources for travelers. Amidst the social-media websites that contain travel-related content, TripAdvisor is considered to be the most popular as it provides a social interaction platform for travelers to share their experiences about a visit to a certain destination. These reviews serve as reliable and unbiased information for contemporary travel researchers. As such, this study attempted to explore the positive and negative attributes of the whale watching industry in Mirissa, Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Content-analysis of a total of 131 reviews posted in TripAdvisor during the period from 01st January 2015 to 31st December 2016 found five positive attributes and four negative attributes associated with the whale watching industry in Mirissa. Probability of encountering good numbers of whales, quality of the services offered by boat operators, crew performance, tour organization, and the efforts taken by relevant stakeholders to conserve whales were the positive attributes revealed by the analysis. The negative attributes associated with whale-watching industry included the discrepancies in prices, duration of the tour, distance maintained during whale watching (boats getting too close to whales), and number of passengers per vessel (overcrowding).Visitors were moderately concerned on the size and quality of the vessels. It was revealed that 10 out of 11 attributes highlighted by the visitors are tour-operator related aspects, and this calls for an overall improvement of the tour operator standards in the whale-watching industry. Impetus for sustainable marine reserve management to assure better visitor experiences are further discussed. Keywords: Indian ocean, Marine mammals, Sri Lanka, Ecotourism, Whale watching, Cetaceans

Can Whale Watching Be a Conduit for Spreading Educational and Conservation Messages? A Case Study in Juneau, Alaska

Whale watching is growing in popularity, with over 100 countries participating in different forms of whale- and dolphin-watching activities. As the whale-watching industry increases, vessel traffic, as well as encounters between cetaceans and people, will increase. Although there are policies to reduce potential disturbance of the whales and/or dolphins, tour companies often face pressure to please their customers. It is thereby important to understand the experiences of passengers while recognizing the educational and conservation messages whale watches can spread to their passengers. Here, a case study of whale watching in Juneau, Alaska is presented, which investigates passenger knowledge, experience, attitude, and intentions regarding whales, whale watching, and conservation. Self-administered paper and pencil multiple answer choice surveys and researcher-administered interview surveys were conducted. The majority of passengers gained most of their knowledge about whales from that day's whale watch, had no awareness of NOAA guidelines/regulations, and had no prior whale-watching experience. The top two determinants of whale-watching quality were getting close to whales and seeing whales do interesting behaviors. Most passengers placed high importance on seeing whales in the wild and were very likely to tell friends and family about what was learned on the tour. There was no significant relationship between awareness of NOAA guidelines and previous whale-watching experience or the top determinant of whale-watching quality (getting close to whales). Additionally, there were no significant relationships between importance of seeing whales in the wild and the likelihood of telling friends and family about what they learned, or joining or donating to an environmental or conservation organization. Interview surveys revealed a combination of in-depth knowledge and biased perceptions of whales. This study reveals the capacity for whale watching to advance public knowledge of cetaceans and marine conservation and the importance of managing passenger expectations.

Increased proximity of vessels reduces feeding opportunities of blue whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 32:351-361 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00825 Increased proximity of vessels reduces feeding opportunities of blue whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada Véronique Lesage1,*, Abdelghani Omrane1,2, Thomas Doniol-Valcroze1, Arnaud Mosnier1 1Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Quebec G5H 3Z4, Canada 2Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada *Corresponding author: veronique.lesage@dfo-mpo.gc.ca ABSTRACT: Blue whales Balaenoptera musculus occur seasonally in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, where they spend most of their time foraging. Their recurrent presence has stimulated the development of a large whale-watching industry. Here, we examine the effect of vessel distance on blue whale foraging behaviour by measuring changes in surface and diving patterns. Vessels were within 2000 m of blue whales during 70% of 33 follows, and 59% of total observation time. At vessel distances ≤400 m, surface and dive times were on average 49 and 36% shorter, respectively, and the number of breaths taken by the whales was reduced by 51% compared to control observations without vessel presence within 2000 m of whales. The consequent reduction in foraging time was likely greater than 36%, given that transit time is incompressible and foraging depth is dictated by where krill densities are located. We showed that the relative proportion of lost foraging time from vessel exposure increased exponentially with prey depth. Whales were unable to compensate for lost feeding opportunities by increasing diving rate or swim speed, except when feeding within 10 to 15 m of the surface. Our results indicate that preventing vessels from entering within a 400 m radius around blue whales can help reduce the negative effects of marine recreational activities on blue whale foraging. KEY WORDS: Disturbance · Behaviour · Whale-watching · Foraging · GLMM · GEE Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Lesage V, Omrane A, Doniol-Valcroze T, Mosnier A (2017) Increased proximity of vessels reduces feeding opportunities of blue whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. Endang Species Res 32:351-361. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00825 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 32. Online publication date: May 04, 2017 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

Ecotourism between Theory and Practice: Empirical Analysis of the Tourism Industry of Whale Watching in Húsavík (Iceland)

Whale watching is a dynamic industry and, in particular in a country like Iceland, where tourism is currently playing a leading role in the national economy and where nature – understood in a broad sense – represents the main attraction for visitors, whale watching, rapidly grown during the last years, shows an evident potential under an ecotouristic point of view. In recent times, an increasing need for the understanding of interactions between humans (tourists) and wildlife (whales) emerged, highlighting the interest towards environmental conservation, protection and preservation matters and towards the search for activities, and modalities, that could essentially contribute to the sustainability of tourism experiences, such as wildlife tourism ones. It is difficult to argue with the fact that whale watching uses the whale “asset” in a non-destructive way, unlike whaling, activity still commercially conducted in Iceland, but at the same time it can’t be considered ecotouristic and sustainable a priori. In fact, several studies point out how tourism has a disturbing effect on wildlife and negatively affects their ecology and short- to long-term behaviours. This article, after a general introduction on the main ecotourism principles, examines the whale watching industry of the “Whale Capital of Iceland”, Husavik, and it mainly focuses on the results and data of two researches conducted in the field – respectively among whale watchers and among the local whale watching companies. The purpose of this work is to investigate if and how Husavik whale watching is following an environmentally sustainable and ecotouristic path, and to bring into light its strengths and weaknesses as a whale watching destination.