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Responsible whale watching and whale welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

MA Iñíguez
MA Iñíguez*
Affiliation:
Fundación Cethus, Monteverde 3695, Olivos, (B1636AEM), Prov Buenos Aires, Argentina Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Capitán Bermúdez 1598, (B1636EMB), Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
*
Email: miguel.lniguez@cethus.org
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Whale watching is defined as tours by air, sea or land to view any of the 86 reported species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in their natural habitat where a commercial aspect exists (IFAW 1999). Whale-watching platforms include small boats, sailboats, cruise ships, inflatables, kayaks, helicopters and airplanes, and the activity can also include observation from land-based sites and approaches made by swimmers. In addition to being non-disruptive to the cetacean population, ‘responsible whale watching’ has many potential educational, environmental, scientific and socioeconomic benefits for human communities (Hoyt & Iñíguez 2008). As a result, tourism of this kind can have a positive effect on nature through the promotion of a general interest and awareness in cetaceans, sustainable economic growth for local economies (which are often otherwise struggling), therefore providing multiple benefits, including improved motivation to preserve marine wildlife.

Keywords

animal welfarecetaceansconservationmarine wildliferesponsible whale watchingsocioeconomic
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 22 , Issue 1: Including selected abstracts from the WSPA/Defra Whale Welfare and Ethics Workshop, March 2011 , February 2013 , pp. 113 - 115
Copyright
© 2013 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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