Whale Watching Worldwide

India
Year Number of
whale
watchers
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 None N/A None None None None
1994 3,600 N/A N/A $19,000 $49,000 $68,000
1998 25,000 62.3% N/A $150,00 $375,000 $525,000
2008 112,900 16.3% 355 $654,975 $1,871,350 $2,526,325
Capital City: New Delhi
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Goa
02: Chilika Lagoon
There are two main dolphin watching locations in India – Goa on the
west coast and Chilika Lagoon in the state of Orissa on the east
coast. River dolphins are also watched in the River Ganges.
In Goa, around 60,000 tourists watched Indo‐Pacific humpback
dolphins in 2008, showing very strong growth since 1998 (the 1998
figure shown above is based only on Goa, meaning that whale
watching in Goa is up from 25,000 in 2008, an average annual increase of 24%). Goa is a major international
tourist destination and boat owners and operators offer trips to tourists around the area’s hotels and
popular beaches. Some 30 boat operators are registered, but there are many casual and opportunistic
operators. Trips are generally cheap: on average $8 for around an hour’s viewing. Longer trips on larger
boats with meals are also available. As operators are dispersed and offer a range of cruise and nature
tourism options, it is difficult to get information on the industry. More research is needed on dolphin
watching in Goa.
On the other side of India, in the eastern state of Orissa, Chilika Lagoon is a large, brackish estuary and a
registered Ramsar site as a wetland of international significance. The lagoon occupies approximately 1,000
square kilometres and is home to a population of 130 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. Small boat owners,
mainly operating out of Satpada and Sipakuda, take tourists to see the dolphins for 60‐90 minute trips. Trips
cost from $8 to $15 for the whole boat, depending on your bargaining skills and the number of hours spent
on the water. Boats take up to ten passengers, often in family groups.
An estimated 50,000 tourists per year visit Chilika Lagoon for dolphin watching. Up to 99% of these dolphin
watchers are domestic tourists, unlike Goa, where international tourists are a significant market. Trips are
provided by some 320 boat owner/operators, employing up to 600 people, and generating considerable
indirect employment. The size of this industry, and the fact that it operates in a sensitive wetland area, has
prompted concerns for the conservation of the dolphin population and the wider ecosystem. Several
organisations and researchers have been working with local authorities and operators to manage the
industry.
Meanwhile, in West Bengal about 55,000‐60,000 tourists visit the Sundarbans forests every year. Thirty to
40 boats operate tours in the area, aiming mainly to see tigers. Tigers are seldom seen, but the trips are in
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