The Potential of Whale Watching in the Caribbean: 1999+

scientists are aware of them (eg., Reeves 1988 and pers. comm.), the hunts are not
monitored and the IUCN status of the species hunted is insufficiently known.
In 1997, the St. Lucia Whale & Dolphin Watching Association (SLWDWA) was
formed to promote the development of high quality whale watching around St. Lucia. Two
'founder operators' signed up with founder-association secretary Jane Tipson, who set up
an office next door to her own tour company Toucan Travel, at Rodney Bay Marina in
Castries. SLWDWA set up a website, an environmental reference library at a local cafe,
and began working with international scientists and whale watch authorities to come up
with acceptable regulations for whale watching in St. Lucia.
Whale watching was soon listed as a regular offering in at least two of the major
Caribbean-wide guidebooks. In truth, whale watching has been poised to take off now for
2-3 years, with operators advertising whale watching and taking a few people out, but
regular popular tours only started in December 1998. Sunlink Tours, which offers a wide
variety of adventure tours on various boats, now lists whale and dolphin watching as one
of its featured tours, and after 3 months operation had 269 bookings at $70 US per person.
The trips include hydrophones to listen to the whales. As of March 1999, a second
company had begun offering the tours, taking about 30 visitors a week over the first two
months
Ṫhese numbers show that demand is there and that local operators are willing to
invest to meet that demand. It would not be surprising if several thousand people were
going whale watching from St. Lucia by the year 2000. Still, if whale watching is to
become successful and of enduring value in St. Lucia, there will need to be enforced
regulations, naturalist guides on the boats, and an education programme that helps ensure
the conservation of marine fauna.
SLWWDA has already taken the lead in promoting high quality whale watching
and in providing information and technical assistance. But much more clearly needs to be
done if whale watching is to develop into a valuable, enduring industry that will bring
economic, social and environmental benefits to the country.
With St. Lucia's endangered leatherback turtles (landing on the beaches from May
to August to lay their eggs when there are all-night 'turtle watches'), rare parrots (which
can be seen on a day hike through the rain forest), a frigate bird sanctuary and numerous
other birding opportunities, there is already a reason for nature tourists to visit. The St.
Lucia Heritage Tourism Programme could well help provide more focus toward the sea,
integrating whales and dolphins with existing marine protected areas and the diving/
yachting tourism sector. One community-based idea would be to establish
environmentally-friendly interpretation and visitor centres, signs and murals focusing on
whales and dolphins, situated at good lookouts or possible whale watch ports especially in
the northwest of the country. This would help put whales and whale watching on the map
for locals and tourists and it could help greatly enhance the nature tourism sector.
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St. Lucia: Whale watching regulations
These regulations are being made into law, though they have yet to be actively
enforced or practised (Carlson 1998).
Preamble
The sighting of whales has always aroused human curiosity and scientific interest.
Over the past decade whale watching has been developing into a world-wide industry and
has gained significant importance from the scientific and educational perspective as well
as that from commerce and the recreational areas. 1996 saw the initiation of whale
watching in many countries including St. Lucia, an activity expected to attract more
visitors to our shores and bring economic benefits to many local communities.
The popularity of whale watching and the world wide growth of the industry
raised questions about the extent to which whale watching effects whales. This has led to
the establishment of rules, regulations, and codes of conduct governing whale watching
activities in some countries. However, whale watching in itself must be regulated in a
manner consistent with the International Whaling Commission regulations in order to
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