France (Mainland and Overseas)

Extent of whale and dolphin watching

The French mainland has coasts on the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Channel, while its overseas territories span temperate, tropical and even polar and sub polar waters around the globe. Together these areas offer a widely varying range of opportunities for whale and dolphin watching involving different species, habitats and whale-watching platforms.  Island territories in the Indian Ocean, such as Mayotte and Reunion, or in those in the South Pacific, including French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, host populations of dolphins in stunning lagoons and tropical waters year-round, and serve as breeding grounds for Southern Hemisphere humpback whales during the austral winter.  In the Northern Hemisphere, the French Caribbean islands, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, St-Barthelemy and St Martin, host humpback whales during the boreal winter (December – April).  The variety of habitats, species and seasons is difficult to encompass in a single country profile, but hopefully this provides an overview for interested visitors, and the links to various websites below can be used to explore options more thoroughly.

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Regulations and guidelines

At the time of writing this text, whales and dolphins in French territorial waters are protected by the national public ordinance (arrêté ) of July 1^st, 2011, which details the list of marine mammals protected under French law. This ordinance prevents the intentional killing and/or commercial trade of these species (or any products from them), and prohibits the deliberate disturbance, including chasing and harassment, of cetaceans in waters under French jurisdiction.  However, it does not include any stipulations specific to the regulation of whale watching.   An effort is currently underway to draft an amendment to this ordinance that would stipulate approach distances and protocols to regulate whale watching activities in a consistent and cohesive manner, either throughout or in given parts of French territorial waters. In the meantime, different territories where whale watching activities have evolved more quickly and at a larger scale than in the coastal areas of Mainland France have developed their own guidelines – in some cases voluntary, and others embedded in local or regional legal frameworks as follows:

Mediterranean:

France is a signatory to the agreement establishing and regulating activities in the Pelagos Sanctuary.  This agreement includes a code of conduct for whale watching, which defines a maximum speed and distance of approach, and a maximum duration of observation. France is also a signatory to ACCOBAMS, the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and contiguous Atlantic Area. In 2014, on the initiative of the Pelagos sanctuary, the ACCOBAMS signatory states inaugurated the High Quality Whale-Watching label as a tool to regulate whale watching. It is a voluntary, not a compulsory label, but it goes far beyond a simple code of conduct: the operators willing to get the label must follow a training course and commit to complying with a range of specifications. Operators commit for example to respect rules regarding approach, to broadcast a message onboard regarding quality, to participate to research programs , sort and recycle waste and NOT to use aerial tracking or promote "swimming with cetaceans".

In August 2014, France was the first of the 23 ACCOBAMS member countries to implement the label, which is obtained by an increasing number of operators on the Mediterranean coast and soon overseas. The NGO Souffleurs d’Ecume is in authorized to conduct training courses and issue HQWW labels in France.

Caribbean:

The entire EEZ encompassed by the French Antilles (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy) is designated as a Sanctuary for marine mammals, called the AGOA Sanctuary. www.sanctuaire-agoa.fr.  An initiative to create a common whale watching label or certification for the region is underway.

A prefectural order issued in 2013 regulates nautical activities on the coasts and contains 3 rules related to observation of marine mammals:  A minimal distance of 300m; a requirement that ships change course if their route intersects with a (group of) whale(s); regulations for speed and conduct of vessels making deliberate approaches to whales and dolphins (maximum speed of 5 kt, no head-on approaches, idling engines or turning them off in the presence of whales or dolphins etc.).  Separate charters/guidelines exist for each island and can be found here.

Indian Ocean

Mayotte’s prefect adopted an order regulating the distance of approach of cetaceans, the number of boats and the behavior those boats shall adopt. This order regulates also the « swimming with cetaceans » practices… A “Guidelines of Mayotte nautical operators for the respect of marine mammals and their habitats” was also signed in 2016 by eight operators. Furthermore, Mayotte’s natural marine park is currently implementing a program on participative science called Tsiôno, inviting all users of the sea and lagoon of Mayotte to share their observations of marine species.

In La Réunion Guidelines for responsible humpback whale watching were established in 2009 at the initiative of different marine stakeholders (tour and dive operators, environmental associations, aquaria etc...) with the support of the Government. Every year, stakeholders are invited to a meeting at the start of the whale season organized with the Prefect, and the guidelines have been signed by roughly 150 partners. The guidelines were updated and extended to dolphin species and marine turtles in 2017. These 2017 guidelines appear to be improving vessel conduct around whales and dolphins, but there are challenges, especially when there are few whales and many “whale-watchers”.

At the same time, the Marine Department of the southern Indian ocean (DMSOI, a local branch of the ministry in charge of environment) has initiated a certification and labeling project to promote our “virtuous” operators: the “O²CR label (Observation Certifiée responsable des Cétacés à La Réunion”  or Observation certified responsible of cetaceans in La Réunion) is given to operators who have proved they adhere to responsible practices.  The labeling scheme is managed by the CEDTM (Centre d’Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines) and conducts awareness raising activities to promote it..

South Pacific

French Polynesia:  The entire French Polynesian EEZ is a sanctuary for marine mammals (Arrêté n° 622 CM, 13th May, 2002). The guidelines set forth in the 2002 legal code are reinforced and taken further with a responsible whale watching label recognized by the government.

New Caledonia:  From a legal perspective, New Caledonian laws stipulate that any disturbance of a protected species is forbidden and a fine is imposed for any voluntary approach to a marine mammal within 50m. Following a study conducted by Operation Cétacés, guidelines were adopted and implemented in 2008 by the Southern Provincial Environment Department in New Caledonia. They are, voluntary, and rely on operators to sign them every year, in order to obtain a certification/label. The most important components of the guidelines include advice on:

• Approach distance:  no less than 100 m;
• Maximum observation time: 1 hour per boat if no calf is present, reduced to half an hour if calf present in the group. Additionally, a group cannot be followed for more than 3 hours during a day or 1h30 if the group contains a calf;
• Maximum number of boats: no more than 4 boats with any whale or group of whales/dolphins at the same time. 

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Research on Whale watching in France (Mainland and Overseas)

Because there are multiple areas where whale and dolphin watching occurs throughout France’s territorial waters, we are unable to summarise the results of the large number of studies that have been conducted around the world. Instead, we present a literature list below highlighting studies that have been conducted in different French territories.

Mediterranean Coast:

• Mayol P., Di-Méglio N., David L., Couvat J., Labach H. et Ratel, M. (2014) - Le whale-watching en Méditerranée française : état des lieux et recommandations. Travaux Scientifiques du Parc national de Port-Cros, 28 : 133-143
• Mayol P., Beaubrun P. Dhermain F. et Richez G. (2007) - Le whale-watching en Méditerranée : les enjeux d'un développement durable. Espaces tourisme & loisirs 244 : 42-54
• Barcelo A., Jarin M., Jaubert R., Martin G., Ody D., Peirache M., Randon N., 2014. La nage avec les cétacés : une activité perturbante pour les mammifères marins et dangereuse pour les pratiquants au sein du Sanctuaire Pelagos (Méditerranée nord-occidentale). Sci. Rep. Port-Cros natl. Park, 28: 49-64

Caribbean:

• Mayol P., De Mongolfier B., Ratel M., Bordes R., Costales L., Iatropoulos D., Ortolé C. et Belhadjer A. (2016) - Caractérisation des activités d'observation commerciale des cétacés à l'échelle du sanctuaire AGOA.

Indian Ocean :

To date, research dedicated to whale/dolphin watching activity is lacking. Some data are recently being collected at sea as part of the follow-up to the implementation of the new 2017 whale-watching guidelines in Reunion. 

• Hoarau L. Delaspre S, Landes A.E., Ciccione S., DalleauI M. (2018) Is there hope for sustainable whale watching and swim-with whales in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean? Recreational and professional regulations during the last humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding season. Abstract of the European Cetacean Society, La Spezia, Italy, April 2018.

Pacific:

In New Caledonia the first study on the potential effect of boat on whales was developed by Operation Cétacés between 2005 and 2007 ( See Schaffar et al 2010 below). It was followed by a second study looking at the evolution of anthropogenic pressure on whales following the development and implementation of the guidelines from 2008 to 2010 (Schaffar et al 2013). Regional guidelines for the South Pacific Islands with IFAW, SPREP and Operation Cétacés was also provided to the South Pacific Island countries in English and French and some economic studies were conducted with Economist at Large¹.

In Tahiti, a Study indicated that increased boat presence on weekends might be displacing spinner dolphins from resting habitat during the day (see Gannier and Petiau 2006 below).

• Carzon, P. (2017). Paramètres démographiques et organisation sociale d'une communauté de grands dauphins, Tursiops truncatus, exposée au tourisme dans l'archipel des Tuamotu. Msc. Thesis, 124p.
• Gannier, A. (2002). Temporal variability of spinner dolphin residency in a bay of Tahiti Island (1995-2001). European Research on Cetacean, 5p.
• Gannier, A. & Petiau, E. (2006). Environmental variables affecting the residence of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in a Bay of Tahiti (French Polynesia). Aquatic Mammals 32.2, 202-211.
• IFAW, SPREP, & Opération Cétacés eds., Pacific Islands regional guidelines for whale and dolphin watching. (2008).
• Schaffar, A. & Garrigue, C. Review of commercial humpback whale-watching activities in the South Pacific. Report for the French Fund for the Worldwide Environment (FFEM).  Report presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission SC/60/WW8
• Schaffar, A. & Garrigue, C. Exposure of humpback whales to unregulated tourism activities in their main reproductive area in New Caledonia.  (Report presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission IWC/59/8 Agenda item 13.
• Schaffar, A., Garrigue, C., Virly, S., & Martinez, E. The unregulated growth of humpback, whale watching in New Caledonia : where are we today? in 6th Coastal & Marine Tourism Congress (Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 2009).
• Schaffar, A., Madon, B., Garrigue, C., & Constantine, R. Avoidance of whale watching boats by humpback whales in their main breeding ground in New Caledonia.  (Report presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission SC/61/WW6, 2009).
• Schaffar, A., Garrigue, C., & Constantine, R., Exposure of humpback whales to unregulated whalewatching activities in their main reproductive area in New Caledonia. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 11 (2), 147-152 (2010).
• Schaffar, A. Survey report on cetacean conservation measures in the francophone Pacific region.  (Australian Gvt, 2011).
• Schaffar, A., Madon, B., Garrigue, C., & Constantine, R., Behavioural effects of whale-watching activities on an Endangered population of humpback whales wintering in New Caledonia. Endangered Species Research 19 (3), 245-254 (2013).
• Senigaglia, V. et al., Meta-analyses of whale-watching impact studies: comparisons of cetacean responses to disturbance. Marine Ecology Progress Series 542, 251-263 (2016).

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