Watching whales can be an exhilarating experience. Seeing some of the world's largest, and sometimes most endangered, species is fast becoming a must-do wildlife experience all over the world. Whale watching can be done for recreational purposes, but also for scientific research and educational reasons.
Whale watching as an organised activity started in 1950 in San Diego, USA. In 1955 the first water-based whale watching commenced in the same area.
The growth of the whale-watching industry
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s whale watching spread throughout the world. It was estimated that in the year 2000, 11.3 million participants participated in this activity, generating around US$1.5bn – making it an important tourism resource and adding an economic reason for whale conservation.
Today whale watching is carried out in various ways:
Water-based, using vessels ranging from kayaks and sailboats through to fishing or whaling boats and custom-built craft that can carry hundreds of people.
Land-based, at strategic lookouts that allow watching of the species that come very close to shore.
Air-based, offering helicopter viewing of species that usually stay some distance from the shore.