Whale Watching Worldwide

Acknowledgements:
Tilen Genov of Morigenos
Spain
Year Number of
whale
watchers
Main species:
Tourists:
Small cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin
International 50%
Domestic 50%
Types of tours: Boat‐based, land‐based, multiple‐day,
dedicated research trip
Average adult ticket price: $420 (10 day trip)
Estimated employment
numbers:
1
Main whale watch season: July to September
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 Minimal N/A Minimal Minimal Minimal Minimal
1994 1,000 ~58.7% N/A $29,000 $72,000 $101,000
1998 25,000 123% 14 $550,000 $1,375,000 $1,925,000
2008 74,629 11.6% 16 $3,207,708 $4,947,738 $8,155,446
Capital City: Madrid
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Tarifa
02: Estépona
03: Bilbao
Whale and dolphin watching in mainland Spain does not represent
an important attraction within the huge number of tourists visiting
the country (60 million in 2007). However, the growth in the
number of whale watchers – from 25,000 in 1998 to approximately
75,000 in 2008 (less conservative estimations may even triple these
numbers) with a growth rate of 11.6% per year – is nevertheless
notable.
The activity is concentrated in southern Spain, focusing on cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Costa
del Sol. Tarifa, the main departure port, accounts for around 75% of total whale watchers; Estépona and
Benalmádena in Costa del Sol another 20%. Six companies offer cetacean watching trips in the Bay of Biscay
(accounting for the remaining 5% of whale watchers). Five of these are international companies operating
between Portsmouth, England, and Santander‐Bilbao, northern Spain.
Out of 16 tour operators, ten are offering dedicated whale watching trips: four in Tarifa, five multiple‐day
cruises in the Bay of Biscay, and one in the Costa del Sol (although this company only offers whale watching
as part of a variety of different cruise trips).
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