Whale watching

Watching famous whale, Ludo, at Valdes peninsula
Whale watching boats in Icy Strait Point, Alaska
Photo from boat showing backs of heads of 8 people and two whales surfacing in background
Whale watching off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine
Humpback whales and California sea lions in Monterey Bay, 2013
Humpback whale and brown pelicans off Avila Beach, California

Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.[1] A study prepared for International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2009 estimated that 13 million people went whale watching globally in 2008. Whale watching generates $2.1 billion per annum in tourism revenue worldwide, employing around 13,000 workers.[2] The size and rapid growth of the industry has led to complex and continuing debates with the whaling industry about the best use of whales as a natural resource.

  1. ^ Hoyt, E. 2009. Whale watching. In Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 2nd Edition (Perrin, W.F., B. Würsig and J.G.M. Thewissen, eds.) Academic Press, San Diego, CA., pp1219-1223.
  2. ^ O’Connor, S., Campbell, R., Cortez, H., & Knowles, T., 2009, Whale Watching Worldwide: tourism numbers, expenditures and expanding economic benefits, a special report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouth MA, US, prepared by Economists at Large. http://www.ecolarge.com/work/whale-watching-worldwide/