Whale Watching Worldwide

Wales
Year Number of
whale
watchers
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 None N/A None None None None
1994 Minimal N/A Minimal Minimal Minimal Minimal
1998 17,000 N/A 3 192,000 530,000 722,000
2008 33,349 7% 17 $863,266 $1,743,458 $2,606,724
Capital City: Cardiff
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Cardigan Bay
02: New Quay
03: Milford Haven
04: St. David’s
05: Pwllheli
Cetacean sightings in Wales are mainly located around Cardigan
Bay, on the west coast, with approximately 50% of the total sea‐
based whale watchers; departure points are located in Cardigan,
New Quay and Aberystwyth. The Pembrokeshire region (southwest
Wales) attracts 30% of cetacean watchers in Wales, focused on the
localities of Milford Haven, Dale and St. David’s, visiting Ramsey Island and Island of Grassholm. The
remaining 20% of visitors are in Gwynedd (northwest Wales), based in Ty Newydd and Pwllheli, from where
cruises to northern Cardigan Bay and the Irish Sea are launched. In general, the industry relies more on
dolphin spotting, which enjoys 90% success rates, whereas large cetacean sightings meet with only 30%
success rates (based on survey results).
A total of 33,350 whale and dolphin watchers are estimated for 2008, representing an increase of 7% per
year with respect to 1998. Approximately 1,000 of these are land‐based dolphin watchers, spotting from
Gwbert, Cardigan Bay, where a Farm Park runs from March to October. Nowadays, most trips include in
their offers the option of cetacean watching, but as a complement to nature and wildlife cruises. Only four
operators offer dedicated cetacean watching tours.
The differences in cost and length of sea‐based trips depend on the location to spot. In Cardigan Bay tours
run for between one and two hours and cost an average $32 per adult (only dolphins are spotted and closer
to the coast). In Pembrokeshire longer cruises run between two‐and‐a‐half to three hours and cost on
average $81 per adult (on these longer trips, both whales and dolphin are spotted). Boat capacity is small
for all companies, with an average of only up to 13 passengers.
In Cardigan Bay, bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises are sighted most commonly. Offshore trips
from Pembrokeshire have the chance to see short‐beaked common, Atlantic white‐sided, bottlenose and
Risso’s dolphins most of the year, but peak season is July to September. June, July and September present a
possibility to see orca, as well as July through to September for minke whales. Fin whales and long‐finned
pilot whales have also been seen, according to local operators, but less frequently.
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