Whale Watching Worldwide

participated in a workshop on the programme in 2008 and expressed a ‘strong desire to participate’
(Mississippi‐Alabama Sea Grant Consortium 2009).
In Alabama at least 26 operators now offer dolphin tours. Some of these operators advertise more heavily
than others; many are charter companies and don’t heavily promote dolphin watching, but watch them on
an opportunistic basis. Most operators are based in Orange Beach and offer short excursions to surrounding
bays and bayous, such as Perdido Bay and the Bayou St. John. Trips are between one and two hours long
and cost between $10 and $20, with trips usually cheaper during weekdays or for morning trips. Charter
vessels can cost between $100 and $200 per hour with individual prices depending on the number of
passengers. Vessel capacities range from under ten passengers for smaller charter yachts, through to larger
boats carrying as many as one hundred and fifty passengers. At least one operator has invested in glass
bottom boats for underwater viewing of dolphins.
Cetacean watching tourism in Louisiana and Mississippi is much less developed than in Florida, Alabama and
Texas. Fishing charters and other cruises sometimes advertise the possibility of seeing dolphins during
expeditions. The recent appearance of a rare, pink albino bottlenose dolphin in Calcasieu Lake, Louisiana,
attracted temporary but widespread media coverage and may lead to further interest in and awareness of
dolphin watching in Louisiana.
In Texas, trips are offered from South Padre Island close to the Mexican border, as well as nearby Port Isabel.
In North Padre Island, tours are offered out of Port Aransas, close to Corpus Christi. Closer to Houston trips
are run from Galveston. A total of sixteen operators have been identified in Texas. Trips are mostly short,
lasting between forty‐five minutes and two hours, and many operators run multiple trips per day. Early
evening trips which combine dolphin watching with dinner and sunset viewing are also common. One
operator mentioned that they get busier during bad weather ‘because people are looking for something to
do other than lie on the beach’.
Hurricanes and poor weather can interfere with the frequency of tours during summer and early autumn in
the Gulf area; however, as long as the region remains a popular holiday destination, cetacean watching
should continue to be an attraction.
Main species: Small Cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin
Tourists:
International 5%
Domestic 95%
Types of tours: Dedicated and opportunistic boat‐based
dolphin watching.
Swim‐with tours in Florida
Average ticket price: $10 ‐ $20 (Texas and Alabama)
$39 (Florida)
$85 (swim‐with tours in Florida)
Estimated employment
625
numbers:
Main whale watch season: Year‐round for dolphins, with a peak in tourists
during holiday season
Acknowledgements:
Florida Keys Wild Dolphin Alliance, NOAA Fisheries Service and the National Marine Sanctuaries Program,
Courtney Vail (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society/ Dolphin SMART), Amy Whitt
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