The Potential of Whale Watching in the Caribbean: 1999+

Besides its yachting base, Antigua offers first class diving in its coral canyons and
sea caves, with a wide range of marine creatures. There is no doubt that Antigua's greatest
natural attractions are in its waters. The giant coral reef surrounding Antigua and Barbuda
is estimated to be as large as 1,000 square miles (2600 sq km), and the expansiveness of
this reef means that there are many little explored areas with sharks, barracuda and
numerous reef fish species. Some sites require long boat trips but are definitely worth
investigating. The best and most accessible dive sites are off the south and west coasts.
However, these may be notoriously spare of marine life; at least one international travel
guide (Fielding) has complained that the government doesn't actively enforce the fishing
ban within national marine parks, which has affected some of the more popular sites.
Compared to Antigua, Barbuda is a quiet, undeveloped island with less than 2% of
the country's population. Visitors to this low-lying coral island tend to be bird watchers,
divers or those visiting on yachts from Antigua who want a beach to themselves. Barbuda
is also accessible by ferry or by a short flight from Antigua.
Barbuda's Codrington Lagoon has the largest frigatebird colony in the Lesser
Antilles — this as well as the generally undeveloped nature of Barbuda attract the more
outdoors or ecologically-minded tourist. The best time for bird watchers to visit is mating
season from October to February.
Along the west coast of Barbuda, from February to April, humpback whales are
sometimes seen passing. Year round, from the southeast coast, north of Spanish Point,
Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins can sometimes be seen inshore in Pelican Bay.
This land point is the closest to deep water on the island — approximately 4 miles (6.4
kms) to the 100 fathom (200 m) contour.
With the number of sightings from land on both Antigua and Barbuda, land-based
nature tours that include cetaceans may well be possible in future, although land-based
whale watching does not usually have a substantial economic element unless the cetaceans
are very close or if boat-based whale watching is also part of the industry. It's worth
keeping in mind that with the large number of ocean-going sailboats, the effective range
for whale and dolphin watching might well be extended further offshore than in many
other areas of the Caribbean. It could be worthwhile for cetacean surveys to be
commissioned farther afield around the islands throughout the year, to determine if there
are predictable locations and times. If there are, Antigua and Barbuda would provide an
ideal opportunity to develop several kinds of whale/dolphin watching: Antigua, the yachtbased
upper end of the market, and Barbuda, the ecotouristic side.
Acknowledgments: Nathan Gricks, Bendure and Friary 1998, Swanson and Garrett 1998,
CTO 1997.
16. Guadeloupe & islands (France) (including St.-Martin and St.-Barthélemy)
Population: 450,000.
Land area: 1,373 sq km.
Tourist arrivals by air: 660,000 (+5.6% on prev. yr.)
Tourist arrivals by cruise ship: 470,054 (-20.3% on prev. yr.)
Total Tourist Expenditures: $371.5 million USD.
Tourism Budget: $4.5 million USD.
GDP at factor cost: Not reported.
1994 figures on whale watching: Minimal.
1998 figures on whale watching: 400 people and total revenues of at least $22,000
USD.
Whale-watching ports (current or potential): Bouillante, Guadeloupe; Gustavia, St
Barths.
Land-based viewing sites: west coast of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe.
Whale-watching potential: Moderate (St.-Barths) to considerable (Guadeloupe);
minimal (St.-Martin).
(Figures above are latest figures for 1997, except as noted.)
48