Whale Watching Worldwide

Kyushu
Year Number of
whale
watchers
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1998 52,000 N/A N/A $1,198,119 N/A N/A
2008 115,600 8.3% 16 $2,998,407 $5,317,600 $8,316,007
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Amakusa
Kyushu’s dolphin watching operations are centred on Amakusa in
Kumamoto prefecture, where 13 operators took approximately
75,600 tourists in 2007 to see bottlenose dolphins. Dolphin
watching has been running in the region for 15 years and has seen
strong growth in this time to become Japan’s most popular
cetacean watching area. Other dolphin watch trips run from across
Shimbara Bay in Nagasaki prefecture, taking around 40,000 visitors.
One operator operates out of Minami Satsuma, and reports
occasional sightings of larger cetaceans.
These boat‐based dolphin watching trips take place all year round, but are most popular during warmer
months (May to October) especially holiday periods. Trips run for around two hours and cost about US$30.
Most operators run multiple trips in a day during busy periods.
Main species:
Tourists:
Small cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin
International 5%
Domestic 95%
Types of tours: Boat‐based, short trips to see dolphins.
Average adult ticket price: $30 adult
Estimated employment
numbers:
58
Main whale watch season: May to October
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Takarajima Tourism Association and seven operators
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