Whale Watching Worldwide

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Charles Anderson and five operators.
Myanmar (Burma)
Year Number of
whale
watchers
resorts
Average ticket price: $20 for day trips organised through resorts
$2000 for multi‐day live‐aboard
Estimated employment
34
numbers:
Main whale watch season: October to May
AAGR Number of
operators
Direct
expenditure
Indirect
expenditure
Total
expenditure
1991 None N/A None None None None
1994 None N/A None None None None
1998 None N/A None None None None
2008 40 N/A 8 $5,560 $1,200 $6,760
Capital City: Naypyidaw
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Mandalay
02: Mergui Archipelago
Myanmar has a small cetacean watching industry in two locations.
Infrequent trips to see the Irrawaddy dolphin run in its namesake,
the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River above Mandalay. Some
opportunistic dolphin and whale watching also takes place in the
Mergui Archipelago as part of scuba diving trips. Operators are tour
organisers, who may offer dolphin watching among many tour
options.
Information about cetacean watching in Myanmar is difficult to obtain, particularly after political violence
and a cyclone in 2008. Prior to these events approximately six dolphin watching trips ran in a year.
Information in this section is based on operator websites and communication with the region’s Wildlife
Conservation Society representative.
Acknowledgements:
Main species:
Tourists:
Small cetaceans:
Irrawaddy dolphin
International 99%
Domestic 1%
Types of tours: Infrequent boat‐based trips in the
Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River
Average adult ticket price: $139 (based on operator website)
Estimated employment
numbers:
11
Main whale watch season: October to February
145