Responsible Whale Watching

Posted by Dawn M. Smith Oct 16, 2007

Before you set out on a whale watch, it is important to do your homework. There are good whale watching tours and not so good ones. In many countries, there is a Code of Ethics or Whale Watching Guidelines designed to keep the boats from disturbing the marine mammals they watch.

Choosing a tour that is part of a research program gives twice the bang for your buck. Often the naturalists on board the boats are collecting data on the whales that are seen. Photo identification books allow for non-invasive information gathering. Noting other marine mammals in the area such as dolphins, porpoise or seals adds to knowledge of the whole ecosystem.

The naturalists will be able to tell scientists which whales are in the area, which females have calves and where they are feeding.

On the other hand, I have been on whale watches where multiple boats came rushing up on a lone whale, disturbing its rest, or have harassed a feeding group until they dispersed. While it may be frustrating to watch other boats zooming around chasing the animals, in the long run, the responsible boats often get longer, more rewarding views because the whales are less likely to move off when the boats move more slowly and allow the animals their space.

So find out which tours watch whales responsibly and which are helping gain scientific data that can be used to help marine mammals and support their work. I guarantee it will be fun.