The Potential of Whale Watching in the Caribbean: 1999+

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necessary to ensure that critical activities such as breeding and social organisation, are not disrupted. From these and other data, the sperm whales appear to be most accessible during the prime whale watching season of November to April. Due to poor weather (hurricane season) and lack of effort, there is not much information on the distribution and abundance of sperm whales and dolphins outside these months. However, it may well be possible to expand the whale watch business in the 'shoulder' seasons. Another expansion could be to the northwestern part of the island. Although more remote from the main port of Roseau, there appear to be just as many whales and dolphins. There is also ample room for expanding whale watching through land-based visitor centres which could charge admission. Québec, South Africa and South Australia provide some examples of the possibilities. These land-based centres can serve as 'advertising' for the boat tours, as well as help educate and entertain visitors regarding the amazing diversity of cetaceans found in Dominican waters. It is possible for such centres to be developed into mini-museums and gift shops which can provide more employment as well as encourage local interest in the cetacean behavior happening all the time just offshore. The emphasis in Dominica on studying and getting to know 'the resource' is itself a valuable model to copy in other Caribbean islands. The impetus in Dominica was provided largely by scientists and NGOs, but it could equally be provided by government, as it is in New Zealand, or by the whale watch operators themselves, as it has been in parts of the US and Canada. The regulations for whale watching in Dominica are some of the most carefully considered and scientifically supported, since they grew out of workshops in Dominica in the mid 1990s. To date they are not incorporated into law. However, the two main operators are very familiar with them and have attempted to be self-regulating. With two additional operators now working, it may become necessary for more formal adoption of the regulations and monitoring and enforcement. In 1997, Prime Minister Edison James declared Dominica's support for Japan's prowhaling position, surprising many who had followed the country's successful development as a prime ecotourism destination, with high quality whale watching. Only time will tell if this affects the willingness of visitors to come and spend money in Dominica. It may depend on how widely this information is known, how much Dominica's visitors value whales and dolphins in general, and many other factors. For now, whale watching has arrived in Dominica as a key visitor attraction, as well as a powerful image-maker, and Dominican operators and hotels are reaping the benefits of almost ten years of steady learning curve. Best of all, in Dominica, whale watching has been put on a positive footing in terms of education and science, partly due to the international workshops. The challenge now will be to grow sensibly, to manage any boat traffic problems that develop, and to continue to invest more and more in education which will entertain the visitor and improve the business while benefiting the whales. ______________________________________________________________ Dominica: Draft Codes of Conduct for Whale Watching in Dominica The following codes of conduct are under review; though some points are already partly adhered to at present as guidelines (Carlson 1998). The Marine Mammal Codes of Conduct are a compilation of existing international guidelines and regulations for watching whales that may be applicable to commercial operations in Dominica. These codes of conduct suggest permits for commercial operations and define the criteria for issuing permits, requirments to be satisfied before issuing permits for commercial vessels, land-based operations, commercial aircraft operations and behaviour around marine mammals. These include: CRITERIA Before issuing a permit, the governing authorities shall be satisfied that there is substantial compliance with the following criteria: 1. That the commercial operation should not have any significant adverse effect on the behavioural patterns of the marine mammals to which the application refers. 54
2. That it should be in the interests of the conservation, management, or protection of the marine mammals that a permit be issued. 3. That the proposed operator, and the operator's staff who may come in contact with marine mammals, should have sufficient experience with marine mammals. 4. That the proposed operator, and the operator's staff who may come into contact with marine mammals, should have sufficient knowledge of the local area and of the sea and weather conditions. 5. That the commercial operation should have sufficient educational value to participants or to the public. Education can be enhanced by a talk on whales, natural history, geology or a comprehensive leaflet. 6. That the commercial vessel meet appropriate safety standards (for example, US Coast Guard or British Department of Commerce). 7. That the appropriate vessel be insured for the passengers that it carries. 8. That the vessel be judged appropriate for whale watching. PERMITS Permits for commercial operations should be issued by area, with no more than three commercial vessels operatiing in any given area on a given day. SUGGESTED CONDITIONS GOVERNING ALL COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR OF ALL INDIVIDUALS AROUND WHALES AND DOLPHINS We suggest that every commercial operation and every person coming into contact with any class of marine mammals comply with the following conditions: 1. Persons shall use their best endeavours to operate vessels, and aircraft, so as not to disrupt the normal movement or behaviour of any marine mammal. 2. Contact with any marine mammal shall be abandoned at any stage if it becomes disturbed or alarmed. 3. No person shall cause any marine mammal to be separated from a group of marine mammals or cause any members of such a group to be scattered. 4. No rubbish or food shall be thrown in the water near marine mammals. 5. No sudden or repeated change in the speed or direction of any vessel or aircraft shall be made except in the case of an emergency. 6. Where a vessel stops to enable the passengers to watch any marine mammal, the engines shall either be placed in neutral or allow engines to idle for one minute before turning off. 7. When operating at an altitude of less than 600 meters, no aircraft shall be closer than 500 m horizontally from a point above any marine mammal unless in the process of taking off or landing. 8. No person or vessel shall approach within 50 m of any marine mammal or group of marine mammals. 9. No person or vessel shall cut off the path of a marine mammal or prevent a marine mammal from leaving the vicinity of any person or vessel. 10. The master of any vessel less than 400 m from any marine mammal shall use their best endeavours to move the vessel at a constant, slow speed, no faster than the slowest marine mammal in the vicinity, or at an idle, no wake speed. 11. Vessel departing from the vicinity of any marine mammal shall proceed slowly at idle or no wake speed until at least 400 m from the nearest marine mammal. 12. No aircraft shall be used to watch whales. 13. No swimmer or diver shall enter the water in the vicinity of marine mammals. 14. Do not approach animals that appear to be resting or continually avoiding the vessel. 15. A log of daily activities including cases of infractions should be recorded. Any infractions should be reported immediately to the Department of Fisheries. SUGGESTED CONDITIONS APPLYING TO SPERM WHALES 55
Page 1 and 2:
The Potential of Whale Watching in
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS Executive Summary 4 Author
Page 5 and 6: • Caribbean whale watch operation
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTION Slightly larger in are
Page 9 and 10: Table 1. Checklist for starting, ex
Page 11 and 12: swim-with-dolphin excursions into B
Page 13 and 14: worthy plan for this area, or one t
Page 15 and 16: Bahamian Dolphin Guidelines These g
Page 17 and 18: longest coastline in the Caribbean.
Page 19 and 20: magnet for tourists and is a good a
Page 21 and 22: Acknowledgments: Baker 1998, Dean B
Page 23 and 24: the high value that dedicated whale
Page 25 and 26: the communication and general knowl
Page 27 and 28: Protección de los Mamíferos Marin
Page 29 and 30: 2.1 The capture, hurting, killing,
Page 31 and 32: 6. Jamaica Population: 2,553,400. L
Page 33 and 34: (Figures above are latest figures f
Page 35 and 36: Desecheo), located in the Mona Pass
Page 37 and 38: 9. US Virgin Islands (USA), includi
Page 39 and 40: system allows him to hear and recor
Page 41 and 42: water below it. The coat of arms is
Page 43 and 44: Aruba Population: 89,000. Land area
Page 45 and 46: February through April, and occasio
Page 47 and 48: 15. Antigua and Barbuda (UK) Popula
Page 49 and 50: Guadeloupe, a French overseas depar
Page 51 and 52: 4) Ne pas passer plus de 30 minutes
Page 53: 1998, Jonathan Gordon and his colle
Page 57 and 58: The following guidelines for whale
Page 59 and 60: February to April when the waters t
Page 61 and 62: tourism are distributed more evenly
Page 63 and 64: avoid any negative impacts on the p
Page 65 and 66: 20. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Page 67 and 68: However, taking mothers and calves
Page 69 and 70: 22. Barbados Population: 265,350. L
Page 71 and 72: frequency of Bryde's whale sighting
Page 73 and 74: Caribbean, as in most other parts o
Page 75 and 76: IFAW. 1996b. Cetacean Field Researc
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The Potential of Whale Watching in the Caribbean: 1999+

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