Whale Watching Worldwide

Italy
Year Number of
whale
watchers
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 200 N/A N/A $300,000 $0 $300,000
1994 160 ‐7.2% N/A $81,000 $0 $81,000
1998 5,300 140% 3 $241,000 $302,000 $543,000
2008 14,415 10.5% 6 $839,426 $1,836,437 $2,675,863
Capital City: Rome
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Genova
02: San Remo
03: Viareggio
04: Forio
05: Imperia
Considering Italy is one of the top worldwide tourist destinations,
whale watching hasn’t gained a significant presence in terms of
number of whale watchers. Nevertheless, it does appear to be
active in conservation, sharing with France and Monaco marine
protected areas such as the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean
Marine Mammals (originally called the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary). Data collected for this report
indicates a total of 14,415 whale watchers in Italy. Compared to 1998, this equates to an average growth of
10.5% per year.
Commercial whale watching is focused on San Remo, Imperia and Genova off the Ligurian Sea, which is
home to 90% of Italy’s whale watching activity. Research programmes are organised from Viareggio in the
Tuscany region and from San Remo in the Ligurian Coast, visiting the Pelagos Sanctuary. Waters off the
Tuscan Archipelago Park are reached by trips departing from Viareggio. From Forio, Ischia Island, research
trips are oriented to the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Gulf of Naples and Archipelago Campano.
Three non‐profit operators (research NGOs) offer dedicated trips, either weekend or six‐day programmes.
Cost varies from $290 for the weekend trips to $750‐$1,200 for the six‐day research projects. These are
offered from May to October. Shorter dedicated tours are mainly offered by commercial operators, lasting
between five hours to a full‐day cruise, and costing on average $40 per adult or $26 per child (departing
from Ligurian Sea coast where most operators are located). The season runs from July to middle September.
The main species spotted are the striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, sperm whale, fin whale, Risso’s
dolphin and Cuvier’s beaked whale (Tethys Institute).
Main species: Large cetaceans:
fin whale, sperm whale
Small cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin, short‐beaked common
dolphin, long‐finned pilot whale, Risso’s
dolphin, striped dolphin, Cuvier’s beaked
whale
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