Whale Watching Worldwide

Main species: Large cetaceans:
Bryde’s whale, sperm whale
Small cetaceans:
bottlenose dolphin, long‐beaked common
dolphin, spinner dolphin
Tourists:
International 80%
Domestic 20%
Land‐based whale watching: None
Types of tours: Boat‐based trips with a range of dedicated
and opportunistic operators.
Average adult ticket price: $50
Estimated employment
75
numbers:
Main whale watch season: October to April
Acknowledgements:
Robert Baldwin, Nida Helou and Howard Gray (Environment Society of Oman) and four operators.
Réunion
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 3,248 29.2% 12 $94,127 $366,077 $460,204
Capital City: Saint‐Denis
Numbers of whale watching tourists in Réunion are currently at
approximately 3,000, but indications are that the industry is
beginning to grow in popularity, with increasing awareness of the
activity and the tourism opportunities presented by whales.
GLOBICE (Groupe Local d’Observation et d’Identification des
Cétacés) is an NGO currently undertaking research into cetaceans in
the waters of Réunion to assess cetacean diversity around the
island, including specific studies on humpback whales and Indo‐
Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Since 2004, year‐round surveys to
assess cetacean diversity have been conducted by GLOBICE off the
coast of Réunion, and a total of ten cetacean species has been observed. Photo‐identification data showed a
small resident population of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins, while the humpback whale appears
seasonally, between June and November. Frequent sightings of mother‐calf pairs indicate that Réunion is a
breeding area for humpback whales. Both humpback whales and Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the
area typically inhabit coastal waters, making them particularly exposed to human activities.
69