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No of trips
70
60
50
40
30
KZN
Overberg
Garden Route
Cape Metro
20
10
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Figure 5.7. Seasonality in the number of trips by representative operators in four parts of the country, based on
logbook data. Only trips where whales were sighted are included to remover over reporting bias by some
operators.
Estimates of the numbers of trips and passengers varied depending on whether logbook or interview
data were used. Operators conducted up to 4 or 5 trips per day during the whale watching season.
The average occupancy rate per trip was between 54% (logbook data) and 63% (interview data).
Logbook and respondent estimates of occupancy rates were largely in agreement, with the exception
of two major discrepancies, in which logbook estimates were very much lower (Figure 5.8).
Occupancy rates per trip were highest in the Garden Route and Maputaland, and lowest in the Cape
Metro and the Sunshine Coast, with low occupancy rates also being associated with large boats.
1.2
Occupancy per trip: Interview
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1
Occupancy per trip: Logbook data
Figure 5.8. Comparison of estimates of mean occupancy per trip from logbook and interview data.
Up to 244 trips per year were recorded in logbooks for permitted boats in 2004. The total number of
passengers recorded on permitted boats for the 2004 season ranged from none to 6600 per permit
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