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Tourism that is based upon the coastal and marine environment is experiencing rapid growth. In addition. the demand for opportunities to interact with wildlife in the wild, as opposed to in captive situations. is increasing. These demands are reflected in the increasing popularity of eco-tourism operations which are based on interactions with wild cetaceans. Tangalooma Whaling Station was located in South-east Queensland, Australia from 1952 until 1962. Tbe Tangalooma station and processing factory harvested 6.277 humpback whales (Megaptera r/ot~ueu&o(ir?e) before significant reductions in catch levels forced its closure. The sire of the whaling factory is now a tourist resort which began to conduct whale watching cruises in 1992. In addition. the resort has developed a program which allows tourists to hand feed a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) which visit the beach area adjacent to the resort. Tangalooma provides an interesting case which illustrates the transition from a whale based industry which was destructive and un-sustainable. to one which is based on the protection of cetaceans. and which may ultimately be sustainable.