Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

Whale watching as a commercial endeavor -with important educational, environmental, scientific, and other socioeconomic benefits - is now at least a $1 billion USD industry attracting more than 9 million participants a year in 87 countries and territories. Since the last worldwide survey in 1994, whale watching has continued to grow at a rapid rate. In 1991, only 31 countries and overseas territories were involved in whale watching; today there are 87. At the same time, the number of whale watchers has increased from a little more than 4 million for the year 1991, and 5.4 million for the year 1994, to 9 million in 1998. Total whale watching tourism expenditures, estimated at $504 million USD (œ311 million GBP} in 1994, grew to $1,049 million USD (œ655 million GBP} in 1998. As a further measure of its prevalence, whale watching is now carried on in some 492 communities around the world - nearly 200 more than in 1994. In many places, whale watching provides valuable, sometimes crucial income to a community, with the creation of new jobs and businesses. It helps foster an appreciation of the importance of marine conservation, and provides a ready platform for researchers wanting to study cetaceans or the marine environment. Whale watching offers communities a sense of identity and considerable pride. In a number of places, it does all of the above, literally transforming a community. This report covers watching of all cetaceans, not just large whales. "Whale watching" is thus defined as tours by boat, air or from land, formal or informal, with at least some commercial aspect, to see, swim with, and/or listen to any of the some 83 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. As well as tours that are strictly whale- or dolphin-oriented, I have also calculated the contribution from general nature tours and cruises which feature whales and dolphins as a prominent aspect, such as Alaskan and Antarctic cruises and Galapagos boat tours. However, in these cases, the numbers and expenditures included in this report have been reduced (to between 10% and 50% of the total} to reflect only the estimated value of the cetacean component of the trip.