Whale Watching Worldwide

• It is the only known predictable aggregation of dwarf minke whales;
• It is the only dedicated swim‐with dwarf minke tourism industry in the world;
• It was the world’s first fully permitted swim‐with‐whales tourism industry:
• Extensive research dating back to 1996 has gathered data on dwarf minke whale movement
patterns, spatial and temporal distribution, individual identification, visual and acoustic behaviour,
as well as passenger experiences, attitudes and motivations and the sustainable management of the
industry;
• Close to one thousand different individual whales have been identified over the 13 year study;
• Research since 2003 will be used to provide information regarding the sustainability of the current
industry and management arrangements, with a focus on sustainable ecological and economic
management of the industry;
• The research is highly collaborative, involving tourism operators, academic institutions, research
institutes, conservation NGOs and government departments;
• All operators are permitted, with a Code of Practice in place that is significantly more stringent than
broader Marine Park Regulations and was developed collaboratively;
• Much remains unknown about the dwarf minke; however, the industry is assisting to gather further
scientific information about the sub‐species and this provides a unique insight into the biology and
behaviour of the oceanic rorquals of the genus Balaenoptera.
The industry represents a great model for other developing or developed industries in terms of combining
ecological and economic information to ensure that cetacean encounters are sustainable and can be
enjoyed by future generations of both species.
Further reading:
Minke Whale Project – Official Research Website
http://www.minkewhaleproject.org
CRC Reef Research Centre – Dwarf Minke Whales
http://www.reef.crc.org.au/discover/plantsanimals/minke/index.html
References:
American Cetacean Society 2009, ‘Pygmy Right Whale | Cetacean Fact Sheet | American Cetacean Society’, accessed
April 2009, available online at: http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm
CRC Reef Research Centre 2002, ‘Dwarf minke whales in the Great Barrier Reef: Current state of knowledge’, CRC Reef
Research Centre Ltd, May 2002, Townsville.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) 2009, ‘Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: Dwarf Minke
Whale Tourism Monitoring Programme’, accessed April 2009, available online at: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/?a=779
Mischon, V 2008, ‘Encountering mutual respect’, Ecos, Ed. 145, Oct‐Nov 2008, pp. 18‐20.
Minke Whale Project 2006, ‘Research update: information sheet #9’, 15 December 2006.
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