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advertising material which offered whale watching. This type of policing is, however, probably dependent on the level of activity of the permit holder. Equipment and infrastructure Boats ranged from the typical “chucky” style boat to custom-built whale watching boats. Maximum passenger capacity ranged from 8 to 22, and was relatively high compared to other regions. One operator had experienced similar problems to a permit holder in the Cape Metro region, with a sporadic operating season linked to uncertainties and problems with boat availability. This was due to the fact that the permit holder themselves did not actually own a boat and was also bound by other business commitments. As a result a number of boats had been opportunistically used over time and plans were currently in place to secure access of a new boat for the 2005 operating season. Though some operators were undoubtedly linked to other businesses in the area, the infrastructure attributed directly to the boat-based whale watching business was typical of many permit holders around the country. Most operators had access to one general use vehicle and office facilities, although this varied from a simple “home office” to dedicated rented facilities. Trip characteristics All trips were focused primarily on whales, with a very limited role for general scenic attractions. This highlights the region’s dependence and focus on whales as a tourist attraction. Operators were differentiated in their general approach. Some operators offered a combined cultural experience aimed at letting visitors understand local culture and history while others focused entirely on the ecological and scientific aspect of whales as the singular attraction. This specialisation within the boat-based whale watching industry has probably been heightened due to the number of successful permit holders in a relatively small area, thus encouraging operators to identify themselves as unique in the eyes of potential clients. Trips were in the region of 2 to 3 hours. Prices were among the highest in the country, ranging from R250 to R650. Seasonality and demand The availability of whale watching follows the typical Western Cape trend of winter months from June to November, with occasional sightings as late as December in the areas to east of the region. The average season utilised by most operators is around 6 months, with one operator who has enjoyed sporadic success, indicating a shorter season of around 3.5 months. This was appears to be a result of low demand and other problems with boat availability and the offering of trips. Tourism in the area is highly seasonal and linked to a summer holiday season for general coastal recreation and shark-viewing and a winter season based on whale viewing. Demand for tours appears to exceed supply in the Walker Bay area (Areas 7, 8 & 9). Demand in Area 10 was described as high due to marketing. In Area 11 low tourist numbers were described as the main factor limiting the number of trips per day. This area, as with many other lesser known boat-based whale watching areas in South Africa would undoubtedly benefit from a focused marketing campaign. Perceived trends and opportunities The Agulhas area currently hosts some of the most well-known whale-viewing sites in South Africa, focussing around the cliffs of Hermanus in Walker Bay, which is complemented by marine-based tourism linked to Great White shark cage-diving enterprises. The focus on whales as an attraction has resulted in the area being relatively well policed by local community members who depend on the resource for land-based whale watching visitors. Residents tend to support the development of whale watching industries but tend to be negative towards boat-based tours, because of the fear that boats could drive whales away, with tourists following closely behind (Findlay 1997). Indeed, one operator attributed the initial slow growth of their business to stakeholders in the local tourism industry warning potential clients against using boats due to the potential for harassment of whales. The current success of operations in the region is expected to grow as the awareness of existing land-based whale tourists expands to include the boat-based whale watching tours on offer. The areas furthest from Hermanus might be expected to suffer from competition with the Walker Bay market, but success in Area 10 shows that this can be overcome. Indeed, the permit holder in Area 11 felt that more permits would be feasible in that area, despite the relatively low level of tourism in this area. This is attributed to the size of the area and the distance between the two main launch points at Struisbaai and Arniston. 41
6.2.4 Garden Route (Area 12-14; Permits: 4 of 4) The Garden Route is one of the most popular tourist regions in the Western Cape, though not as well known for whale watching as the Hermanus area. The region is characterised by spectacular scenery and numerous sheltered bays which have helped in supporting a thriving tourism industry, which forms the most important industry in the region (DEAT 1999). The area is highly dependent on its natural resources in the form of various viewing attractions and boat-based whale watching fits well into the general type of tourism. Permitted activity In keeping with the high level of subscription to permits in the Western Cape, all available permits in the Garden Route region are currently in use and include some of the most active and successful boat-based whale watching operators in the country. It is also currently the base for what seems to be the first boat-based whale watching “franchise” in the country, run under the brand Ocean Safaris, which markets operations in Knysna (Area 13), Plettenberg Bay (Area 14), Port Elizabeth (Area 15) and Shelly Beach (Area 21). It should be noted that these permits are owned by different individuals. Non-permitted activity Non-permitted activity is currently minimal to non-existent in Areas 12 and 13, with one or two pleasure trip operators present in both. These latter operators appear to run standard trips all year round and do not actively market whales as an attraction at this stage. The viewing of whales does, in the majority of these cases at least, appears to be entirely incidental. One non-permitted operator in Area 12 did however indicate that they would begin advertising “whale-viewing” (defined as whale watching while observing the 300m limit) in the 2005 season. Area 14 stands out as having an active and openly-marketed non-permitted boat-based whale watching operator, which offers “dolphin and whale watching”. This is surprising in the light of the fact that two permit holders are already currently active and competing for customers in the area. About 8% of the total available customer pool was claimed to be attracted by this non-permitted operator. This operator makes use of a boat belonging to an existing fishing charter company, but operates independently of that company. Policing was reportedly minimal to non-existent in this region. Low levels of illegal activity can probably be attributed to a lack of excess demand for specifically boat-based whale watching tours in Areas 12 and 13. The case of a new potential non-permitted operator in Area 13 does indicate that as awareness and demand for whale watching increase within these areas, non-permitted activity will begin to increase and prove more of a problem in the future. This is especially likely owing to the general trend of increasing awareness of the region as a tourist destination. The situation in Area 14 appears to represent a case of an additional operator cashing in on the demand created by the two legal operators. Equipment and infrastructure Area 12, in the area surrounding Mossel Bay, has the second highest passenger capacity of any permit holder encountered in this study, with a maximum capacity of 50. This 16m motorised sailboat has been in use since 1978 and whale watching represents a relatively new activity in the history of its use. The remainder of boats used by operators are much smaller, with capacity ranging from 12 to 16m, all in the form of smaller hard hulled boats approximately 7-9m in length, and are typical of boatbased whale watching boats elsewhere in the country. Boats in Areas 12 and 13 benefit from harbours, thus removing constraints on maximum size. Whale watching in Area 13 requires access via the treacherous Knysna Heads, and beach launching is required in Area 14. These conditions place a limit on boat size and constrain the number of trips per day. Thus the operators have developed a system of “change-overs” whereby passengers are ferried to the whale watching boat, effectively increasing trip numbers and overall occupancy. In the case of Knysna, this system was estimated to increase maximum trip numbers from 3-4 up to 9 or 10 per day, the highest recorded in the country. Trip characteristics All operators offered whale watching in conjunction with other eco-tour activities based on viewing local marine life and scenery. Each area offers a distinctly different set of attractions and type of trip. Trips in Area 12 are based on the attraction offered by the Mossel Bay harbour and Seal Island, offering the opportunity to view seals and local scenery. Some shark-cage diving also occurs in the areas and so the potential for Great White Shark viewing adds a further attraction. Trips are also 42
Page 3: BOAT-BASED WHALE WATCHING IN SOUTH
Page 6 and 7: owners, who felt that a smaller, fa
Page 8 and 9: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION..
Page 10 and 11: 1. INTRODUCTION The whale watching
Page 12 and 13: the main whale watching season. All
Page 14 and 15: 3. WHALE WATCHING: AN INTERNATIONAL
Page 16 and 17: location. Most cetaceans spend the
Page 18 and 19: 3.2 South Africa in perspective Boa
Page 20 and 21: Table 3.3 excludes countries where
Page 22 and 23: west coast up to February or March
Page 24 and 25: The designated areas also include a
Page 26 and 27: 5. PERMIT-HOLDER CHARACTERISTICS, S
Page 28 and 29: The majority of permitted operators
Page 30 and 31: Two very large boats excluded, a ty
Page 32 and 33: November. This is probably due to a
Page 34 and 35: holder, with a total of just over 3
Page 36 and 37: Based on rack rates and the estimat
Page 38 and 39: 5.12 What determines success Based
Page 40 and 41: impact along the Garden Route, anot
Page 42 and 43: 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20
Page 44 and 45: 6.2 Western Cape The Western Cape P
Page 46 and 47: Equipment and infrastructure The fu
Page 48 and 49: around 30 to 35 passengers were per
Page 52 and 53: generally variable in their length,
Page 54 and 55: Non-permitted activity One dedicate
Page 56 and 57: Equipment, trip characteristics and
Page 58 and 59: 6.4 KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal cur
Page 60 and 61: visitors can be accommodated before
Page 62 and 63: Run on its way past Durban. Trips w
Page 64 and 65: Operators in Area 25 also offered d
Page 66 and 67: 6.5 Summary of legal and illegal ac
Page 68 and 69: 7. FUTURE POTENTIAL OF THE INDUSTRY
Page 70 and 71: Overall demand is heavily influence
Page 72 and 73: The most important enabling criteri
Page 74 and 75: The Cape Metro area is a major tour
Page 76 and 77: focused on harbour trips and until
Page 78 and 79: Wetland Park, Pondoland, the Greate
Page 80 and 81: 8.3 The permit system, conditions a
Page 82 and 83: Monitoring will also be vital for e
Page 84 and 85: 15. Data collected by operators and
Page 86 and 87: Woods-Ballard, A.J., Parsons, E.C.M
Page 88 and 89: 11. APPENDIX 2. SUMMARY OF COMMERCI
Page 90 and 91: used for whale watching must be acc
Page 92 and 93: Both the National and state governm
Page 94 and 95: effort to be controlled through res
Page 96 and 97: not is broached several times each
Page 98 and 99: 11.5 South America 11.5.1 Ecuador T
Page 100 and 101:
The Dominican Republic has strict c
Page 102 and 103:
12. APPENDIX 3: NOTIFICATION OF PER
Page 104 and 105:
4. Applicants must be willing to si
Page 106 and 107:
SIMONSTOWN AREA Cape Point Lighthou
Page 108 and 109:
PLETTENBERG BAY AREA The Western Bo
Page 110 and 111:
(iii) the extent to which the appli
Page 112 and 113:
Table I. Rating of the whale resour
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