Whale Watching Worldwide

For the past four years, IFAW has collaborated with Hyannis Whale Watcher, a whale watch operation on the
north side of Cape Cod near our HQ office to develop educational displays, educational literature for distribution
to customers and general promotion of IFAW. In past years, IFAW has engaged the Hyannis Whale Watcher
naturalists as interns, affixed the IFAW logo prominently on the vessel and engaged in significant local outreach.
IFAW has also supported research conducted by NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary researcher
Dave Wiley monitoring whale watching vessels in New England waters and compliance with speed restriction
guidelines (Wiley et al. 2004). The research showed that whale watching boats were routinely exceeding speed
limits which were rarely enforced.
Conclusion
In 2009 the IWC is at a crossroads. It could revert to the mindset of 1946 and facilitate the continuation and
expansion of commercial whaling, or it could genuinely become the organisation responsible for the “proper
conservation of whale stocks”. Whale watching provides the lever that could drive the IWC in the right
direction. IFAW has been privileged to contribute to that process over the years and we hope that that support
will continue well into the future. For whale watching provides the means to change attitudes about whales.
3. Whale Watching and the International Whaling Commission – a Brief History
Summary
The International Whaling Commission has addressed the subject of whale watching since 1975. As the only
global body responsible for the conservation of whales, the IWC has provided a focus for all aspects of the
discussion regarding whale watching including the scientific, legal, socio‐economic and educational aspects. The
IWC has provided the function of a clearing house for the collation, analysis and dissemination of information on
whale watching to both member and non‐member governments.
The IWC has performed a critical function of providing a framework both to help coastal states draft regulations
and guidelines and to provide a forum for peer review of the scientific aspects of issues arising from whale
watching. This has contributed to the overall sustainability of whale watching and ensuring that the economic
and educational benefits are capitalised upon.
Chronology
1975 Concerns were expressed within the IWC Scientific Committee that excursion boats entering Scammon
and other breeding lagoons in Mexico, which had started in 1970, might be detrimental to the whales 2 .
1976 IWC Scientific Committee asked the Commission to request the US and Mexican Governments to
“…establish regulations to reduce harassment of (gray) whales in all their breeding areas” 3 . The Commission
responded by adopting a resolution, proposed by Denmark, that noted the Committee’s recommendation and
that “the gray whales are generally protected”, and recommended “… that contracting governments establish
such regulations as soon as possible”.
2 Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 28: 209‐11, 1976
3 Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 29: 68, 1977
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