Whale Watching Worldwide
Whale Watching Worldwide
Whale Watching Worldwide
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Main species: Large cetaceans:<br />
Bryde’s whale, humpback whale<br />
Small cetaceans:<br />
Amazon River dolphin, bottlenose dolphin,<br />
spinner dolphin, tucuxi<br />
Tourists:<br />
International Mainly international<br />
Domestic<br />
Types of tours: Mainly boat‐based short trips<br />
Average adult ticket price: $17 on the Pacific coast, $125 in the Amazon<br />
Estimated employment<br />
51<br />
numbers:<br />
Main whale watch season: December to March is the main tourist<br />
season; humpback whales visit the Pacific<br />
coast between June and November<br />
References:<br />
Hoyt, E & Iñíguez, M 2008, ‘The State of <strong>Whale</strong> <strong>Watching</strong> in Latin America’, WDCS, Chippenham, UK; IFAW, Yarmouth<br />
Port, USA; and Global Ocean, London, 60 pp..<br />
Ecuador<br />
Year Number of<br />
whale<br />
watchers<br />
AAGR Number of<br />
operators<br />
Direct<br />
expenditure<br />
Indirect<br />
expenditure<br />
Total<br />
expenditure<br />
1991 5,020 N/A N/A $15,060,000 Minimal $15,060,000<br />
1994 6,650 9.8% N/A $15,100,000 $200,000 $15,300,000<br />
1998 11,610 15% N/A $19,700,000 $3,650,000 $23,350,000<br />
2006 42,900 17.8% 119 $50,229,000 $10,053,700 $60,282,700<br />
Capital City: Quito<br />
<strong>Whale</strong> Watch Locations:<br />
01: Galapagos Islands<br />
02: Machalilla National Park<br />
03: Amazon basin<br />
Cetacean watching has been a part of ecotourism on the Galápagos<br />
Islands for over 30 years and continues to attract visitors today.<br />
However, the biggest cetacean watching area in Ecuador is<br />
Machalilla National Park on the mainland central coast, which<br />
attracts around 20,000 visitors. Day trips to see humpback whales<br />
run from June to September aboard a range of small boats, with<br />
capacities of up to 16 passengers.<br />
Two operators offer dedicated trips to see river dolphins in the Ecuador’s part of the Amazon basin. Amazon<br />
River dolphins and sometimes tucuxi are seen. Small groups are taken to the confluence of the Aguarico and<br />
Napo rivers and the Yasuni and Napo rivers, as well as to Lagarto Cocha Lake.<br />
At least 80 operators offer trips to the Galápagos. These are typically journeys of seven days or more aboard<br />
a range of vessels carrying from six to 90 passengers. These are not dedicated whale watch tours, but<br />
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