Whale Watching Worldwide

Benin
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 None N/A None None None None
2008 218 11 N/A 1 $6,377 $16,350 $22,727
Capital City: Porto‐Novo
Whale Watch Locations:
01: Cotonou
02: Oudah
03: Grand‐Popo
Benin has one operator that runs whale watching trips, mostly for
expatriate workers from France, the United States, The Netherlands
and Belgium 12. The trips are still exploratory in nature and a local
non‐government organisation (NGO) has struggled to find a boat to
run consistent trips. The average ticket price for adults is $35 and
up to eight full‐time jobs are directly supported during the peak
season. Most whale watching occurs from the towns of Cotonou,
Oudah or Grand‐Popo, in the Bight of Benin.
The industry is focused mainly on humpback whales due to tourist demand, although bottlenose dolphins
are also commonly sighted.
While the industry is currently small, cetacean surveys conducted from 2000 onwards indicated that as many
as 15 different cetacean species are present in the waters off Benin. Studies of cetaceans in these waters
also revealed that the population of humpback whales in the area is perhaps one of only two humpback
populations in the world that migrate across the equator annually to breed 13. Results from these
exploratory surveys also indicated that while sightings occurred on each trip, the sighting rate is only one
whale per two hours (approximately). Survey results from operators indicated a sighting rate of 70%, which
is lower than most regions globally where whale watching industries have developed.
While increased whale watching tourism in Benin is possible, a lack of capital to invest in boats, low levels of
awareness of the tourism potential of whale watching and low levels of tourism to Benin more generally
present significant barriers. While Benin experienced negative tourism growth between 1990 and 2000,
tourism between 1995 and 2004 grew at an average annual rate of 2.6%. Increasing shipping activity in the
Bight of Benin, plans to construct a second container port and the deployment of region‐wide underwater
gas‐pipelines may present a risk to populations of cetaceans and could hinder the further development of a
whale watching industry.
11 Not including land‐based figures, which only occur infrequently when there is an exceptional whale watching
opportunity and hence are very inconsistent in nature and not included in this report.
12 Exploratory surveys conducted between 2000 and 2002 included local Beninise tourists. These tours were free but
participants were requested to provide information on their enjoyment of the trip and willingness to pay for whale
watching.
13 The other humpbacks that migrate across the equator to breed are the Southeast Pacific population.
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