Ethical whale watching refers to a sustainable and responsible approach to observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitats. It aims to minimize disturbance and harm to these animals while providing a safe and enjoyable experience for tourists.
Ethical whale watching practices include maintaining a safe distance and respecting their natural routines and migrations. It also entails supporting local conservation efforts and community development initiatives, and ensuring that the tourism industry does not have a negative impact on the environment or marine life.
By following these guidelines, ethical whale watching enables us to appreciate and learn from these magnificent creatures while preserving them for future generations to enjoy.
Should You Support Whale Watching?
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Whale Watching right now, and the implications it has on our wildlife. The question is, can it be done responsibly without putting our beloved whales at risk? The answer is yes! But it requires the cooperation, commitment and communication of everyone out on the water.
Over the past few years, Whale Watching in Campbell River has been booming. Our nutrient-rich waters and sheltered waters, provide refuge and feed for Humpbacks, Orcas, Dolphins and Porpoises. At any given time there can be 20+ whale watching boats out on the water, all full of guests anxious to see these beautiful creatures. So how do we do this safely, both for the guests and the whales? It’s called Responsible Whale Watching!
Responsible Whale Watching benefits everyone! The operators, whale watchers, and the surrounding communities that thrive on our booming tourism
Ethical and Responsible Whale Watching Benefits
Passengers:
- By allowing you to enjoy these magical creatures in their natural environment, rather than a tank. It is always better than going to an Aquarium.
- It offers you the opportunity to learn about these marine animals, how they eat, breed, communicate, the threats they face, and what we can do to help.
- Seeing Whales and Dolphins in the wild (where they belong!) can be a life-changing and awe-inspiring experience!
Conservation
- Provides a research platform for scientists to collect data on the behaviour and ecology of whales and dolphins
- Can save lives when ‘watchers’ spot whales or dolphins in distress and can alert experts
Communities:
- Providing income for coastal communities
- Developing local tourism infrastructure
- Offering a long-term marine tourism activity: many whale species are long-lived and, if treated responsibly, may be viewed in the wild over several decades.
So How Do We Practice Responsible Whale Watching?
Keep Our Distance
The Canadian Department of Fisheries sets strict guidelines with how close we are allowed to get to the whales.
It's not about how close can you get, it's about viewing these magnificent creatures in the wild, observing and learning about their behaviors, completely on their terms. We do everything we can to avoid disturbing or disrupting the natural behavior of the whales.
Avoiding Endangered Species - Southern Resident Killer Whales
Southern Resident Killer Whales are a small species of orca who are currently facing the threat of extinction.
The whale watching community has a duty to protect and put these animals first. Which is why we have collectively agreed not to seek out or stop to watch SRKW's during our tours. Our captain is trained to identify the different species of Orca (Transients, Northern Resident Killer Whale, and Southern Residents).
If we happen to come across SRKW's during a tour, we give them a wide birth and continue on our way. We like to use it as an opportunity to educate our guests about their story and struggle. There are many factors that are contributing to their decline in population, and we don't want to be one of them!
Limit Our Time
Everyone out on the water wants a chance to spend some time with these beauties. We try and limit our time with each animal so we don't disturb or cause any stress for them. We communicate with other operators and limit the number of boats around at a time. If we know it's a bit crowded, we'll go find some other whales to look at. There is no shortage of whales in our area!
Communicate with Other Boaters
One of the biggest dangers our whales face is from vessel strikes. They are often caused by recreational boaters who aren't paying attention to their surroundings. We are constantly on the radio, alerting oncoming boaters that there are whales in the area. We try and educate them as much as we can, that when you see a blow, or a whale watching boat that is stopped, slow down and drive with caution. We also report whales that have become entangled in fishing line or rope, and are in need of some help!
We Focus On the Beauty Of the Entire Coast!
We have so much beauty here on the coast, not just the whales but the Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, and of course the beautiful Flora and Fauna! Our crew is knowledgeable about everything we stop to see, land, sea or sky, and we try and show our guests a little bit of everything! Our goal with every trip we do, is to show you why we are so proud of where we live, and to give you a true appreciation of our coast.
Promote Education and Conservation
There are a few local organizations that support and promote the protection of our marine life, and aim in educating the public on ethics on marine interaction.
- MERS (Marine Education and Research Society). They put together a fantastic Identification Catalogue of all of our Humpbacks (which are all given names!). We like to have it on the boat to show our guests the different markings, and everyone loves to know the names of all of the whales!
- NIMMSA - We are a proud member of NIMMSA (North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Assoiciation. We collect a conservation fee from each guest who joins us for a tour. This conservation fee gets sent to NIMMSA which use it for a variety of different projects - all benefiting marine mammals.