Whale Watching Worldwide

Main species: Small cetaceans:
Irrawaddy dolphin, Indo‐Pacific humpback
dolphin
Tourists:
International 5%
Domestic 95%
Types of tours: Short boat cruises
Average adult ticket price: $5
Estimated employment
10
numbers:
Main whale watch season: Year‐round, but busier in cooler months,
November to March
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to the fishermen at Bangpakong and to Saisunee Chaksuin at WWF Thailand, Kanjana Adulyanukosol at Phuket
Marine Biological Centre, Supot Chantrapornsyl at Southern Marine and Coastal Research Centre Songkhla, Somchai
Mananunsap at Eastern Marine and Coastal Resouces Research Centre, Rayong
Turkey
Year Number of
whale
watchers
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 Minimal N/A N/A Minimal Minimal Minimal
2008 Minimal N/A N/A Minimal Minimal Minimal
Capital City: Ankara
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Bay of Kalkan
02: Cape of Kos
In the last global report, a minimal amount of opportunistic dolphin
watching was reported to have occurred on cruises in the Aegean
and Black Seas, but none of this was considered to be dedicated
whale watching. In 1998, it was stated that considerable potential
existed for small cetacean watching in these locations.
Research conducted for this report in 2008 indicated no further
growth of whale watching in Turkey. No dedicated or substantial
opportunistic cetacean watching has developed in the Aegean and Black Seas, although dolphins are
sometimes sighted from dive trip boats, particularly around the Bay of Kalkan. Sailing cruise operators in the
Aegean Sea report that they see pods of dolphins several times per week, including Risso’s dolphin calves
around Cape of Kos and long‐finned pilot whales occasionally each season.
Within the methodology applied to this report, it has been considered therefore that there was little whale
watching in 2008, with little tourism expenditure associated with cetaceans.
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