Whale and dolphin watch operators take the lead on responsible whale watching
Ever wanted to go whale watching in a whaling country but wondered whether you should?
Maybe you dream of seeing whales in the most inspiring and educational environment possible?
Perhaps you would like to swim with dolphins but are unsure what constitutes responsible practice?
All these questions, and many more, are discussed in the first Report on Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching ever produced by the very people that spend more time with these magnificent animals than anybody else. Together, they represent the very best of the whale and dolphin watching industry from around the world. In 2012 a coalition of these businesses formed a partnership committed to adopting new strategies that will prioritise the welfare of whales and dolphins and the long-term sustainability of the industry. This report describes just some of the ways in which they intend to do it.
View and download the report here.
The demand to see whales and dolphins in the wild is increasing worldwide (attracting over 13 million people in 119 countries in 2008), and there are many positive aspects to watching cetaceans from commercial vessels, including improved opportunities for research and the potential to educate and inspire millions of people.
However, there is also growing evidence to show that watching whales and dolphins in the wild may be having a detrimental effect upon them. Although this is by no means universally true, it is widely accepted that the whale and dolphin watching industry remains poorly regulated in many areas and suffers from a lack of internal direction. The standard of tours on offer is also highly variable.
It is intended that by sharing the experience and knowledge they have picked up over many years, the companies in this report will underline the commercial benefit that sustainable operation has brought to their businesses. The report shows that the whale and dolphin watching industry has already developed viable solutions to many of the problems arising and is willing to discuss how these can be implemented across the industry. It takes an honest and in-depth look at how issues of sustainability and responsibility are being tackled by those who work closest with cetaceans each year - the whale and dolphin watch tour operators.
The 2012 Report on Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching is the start of something new and exciting - the opportunity for those working in the industry to share ideas and work together to improve the standards of their businesses and guarantee long term financial stability and sustainability. Crucially, it also illustrates that efforts to conduct responsible whale watching tours also benefit operators financially in a number of ways - meaning that there is no reason why these ideas, and many more that the partnership hopes to incorporate in the future, should not be taken up across the industry and across the world.
This report was created by the following 12 whale and dolphin watch operators through their roles as 2012 Responsible Whale Watch Partners:
Arctic Whale Tours, Norway; Cape Ann Whale Watch, USA; Conscious Breath Adventures, Dominican Republic; Dolphin Encountours, Mozambique; Elding, Iceland; FIRMM, Spain; Hebridean Whale Cruises, UK; Marine Discovery Penzance, UK; Turmares Tarifa, Spain; Whale Watching Panama, Panama; and Whale Watch West Cork, Ireland.
The report was part-funded by Defra (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK), and launched at the World Whale Watch Conference, held in Brighton, UK, on 25th October 2012. It is now fully revised and available for free download. Click here.
For further information please contact: Dylan Walker. dylan@planetwhale.com. Tel: +44(0)1273 355011
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Wednesday, 27 February 2013
2012 Report on Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching
Whale of a Time organises creative events on environmental issues to encourage active participation living a sustainable lifestyle inspired by a positive attitude. We work largely with children and young people at community and environmental festivals, and in schools and youth clubs. Our work has been recognised by many national and community and environmental awards schemes.
Saturday, 23 February 2013
If someone can do it then it must be Germany!
German solar power plants produced a world record 22 gigawatts of electricity per hour equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity!
Whale of a Time organises creative events on environmental issues to encourage active participation living a sustainable lifestyle inspired by a positive attitude. We work largely with children and young people at community and environmental festivals, and in schools and youth clubs. Our work has been recognised by many national and community and environmental awards schemes.
Midway Journey - A Must See For Everybody
The Journey
Midway Atoll, one of the most remote islands on earth, is a kaleidoscope of geography, culture, human history, and natural wonder. It also serves as a lens into one of the most profound and symbolic environmental tragedies of our time: the deaths by starvation of thousands of albatrosses who mistake floating plastic trash for food.
The images are iconic. The horror, absolute. Our goal, however, is to look beyond the grief and the tragedy. It is here, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that we have the opportunity to see our world in context. On Midway, we can not deny the impact we have on the planet. Yet at the same time, we are struck by beauty of the land and the soundscape of wildlife around us, and it is here that we can see the miracle that is life on this earth. So it is with the knowledge of our impact here that we must find a way forward.
Trailer Link
Midway Atoll, one of the most remote islands on earth, is a kaleidoscope of geography, culture, human history, and natural wonder. It also serves as a lens into one of the most profound and symbolic environmental tragedies of our time: the deaths by starvation of thousands of albatrosses who mistake floating plastic trash for food.
The images are iconic. The horror, absolute. Our goal, however, is to look beyond the grief and the tragedy. It is here, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that we have the opportunity to see our world in context. On Midway, we can not deny the impact we have on the planet. Yet at the same time, we are struck by beauty of the land and the soundscape of wildlife around us, and it is here that we can see the miracle that is life on this earth. So it is with the knowledge of our impact here that we must find a way forward.
MIDWAY : trailer : a film by Chris Jordan from Midway on Vimeo.
Trailer Link
Whale of a Time organises creative events on environmental issues to encourage active participation living a sustainable lifestyle inspired by a positive attitude. We work largely with children and young people at community and environmental festivals, and in schools and youth clubs. Our work has been recognised by many national and community and environmental awards schemes.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
How Climate Change is destroying the Earth
Created by
Whale of a Time organises creative events on environmental issues to encourage active participation living a sustainable lifestyle inspired by a positive attitude. We work largely with children and young people at community and environmental festivals, and in schools and youth clubs. Our work has been recognised by many national and community and environmental awards schemes.
Friday, 8 February 2013
Success! MEPs vote to reform fishing laws and protect oceans
European politicians voted overwhelmingly in favour of radical, progressive reform of our fishing laws. A "victory for citizen power" is how Roger Harrabin, the BBC’s environment analyst, described it. So, well done citizens!
Together we set out to achieve what seemed like an impossible challenge: to reform the infamous Common Fisheries Policy - the package of broken laws that have depleted our fish stocks and devastated fishing communities across Europe.
Previously, huge industrial interests have held our seas to ransom, emptying our waters for profit. But then thousands of us stepped in to help. Cooperation between campaign groups, fishermen, champion politicians, retailers, and celebrity chefs like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, all made sure that our MEPs could not ignore what we wanted: real change to protect our fragile seas.
So what's in the new measures? A ban on discards: the cynical practice of throwing dead fish back into the sea to meet fishing quotas. The changes also reward responsible fishing and set catch limits in line with the best scientific advice. Importantly, new rules to improve the behaviour of European boats wherever they fish, anywhere in the world. Now, we stand a real chance of achieving a fish-filled future.
There are more hurdles ahead. The next stage will require agreement from European fisheries ministers (and that could take months). But let’s take a moment to enjoy this, and reflect on how much we have achieved.
Let's keep going!
Greenpeace news
Together we set out to achieve what seemed like an impossible challenge: to reform the infamous Common Fisheries Policy - the package of broken laws that have depleted our fish stocks and devastated fishing communities across Europe.
Previously, huge industrial interests have held our seas to ransom, emptying our waters for profit. But then thousands of us stepped in to help. Cooperation between campaign groups, fishermen, champion politicians, retailers, and celebrity chefs like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, all made sure that our MEPs could not ignore what we wanted: real change to protect our fragile seas.
So what's in the new measures? A ban on discards: the cynical practice of throwing dead fish back into the sea to meet fishing quotas. The changes also reward responsible fishing and set catch limits in line with the best scientific advice. Importantly, new rules to improve the behaviour of European boats wherever they fish, anywhere in the world. Now, we stand a real chance of achieving a fish-filled future.
There are more hurdles ahead. The next stage will require agreement from European fisheries ministers (and that could take months). But let’s take a moment to enjoy this, and reflect on how much we have achieved.
Let's keep going!
Greenpeace news
Whale of a Time organises creative events on environmental issues to encourage active participation living a sustainable lifestyle inspired by a positive attitude. We work largely with children and young people at community and environmental festivals, and in schools and youth clubs. Our work has been recognised by many national and community and environmental awards schemes.
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