Whale watching - a potential alternative to dolphin killing in Peru

Whale watching can become a very powerfull tool for dolphin conservation in Peru.

This form of tourism:

- Could provide alternative income for local fishermen.

- Promote dolphin conservation by showing that the economical value of life dolphins is much higher than the one of dolphin meat sold on the local markets.

- Could provide additional information about the distribution of cetacean species along the Peruvian coast.

With more than 30 species of whales and dolphins being registered in Peruvian waters, Peru has a great potential to become a whale watching destination. Thousands of Peruvians are used to daily observe dolphins passing by beaches like for example Villa or Pulpos in the south of the capital. Members of Mundo Azul had very close encounters with dolphins and even Blue whales.

Whale watching can offer considerable income. In his report "The Potential of Whale Watching in Latin America and The Caribbean", Erich Hoyt writes:

"The economical value of watching dolphins in the Amazon could provide an example of what might be done along the coast where dolphins are commonly killed. Regular tours departing from Iquitos, sponsored by a number of organizations, have been conducted year-round. (…) From March to August, educational field trips, led by the Oceanic Society and Biological Journeys mainly spend time with boutu and tucuxi in and around the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. The 27 people who went dolphin watching with the Oceanic Society in 1991 spent $US 40,000. This expanded to 87 people in 1993 spending about $US 250,000."

To make whale watching possible in the coast several hurdles have to be taken:

It's necessary:

- To implement field studies about the distribution of dolphins and whales

- To design whale watching regulations in order to avoid negative impacts of the tourism.

- To improve tourism infrastructure along the coast, especially in terms of boats, security and hotels.

Nevertheless we are optimistic about the whale watching future in Peru. As Hoyd writes: "If the political situation continues to improve and the Peruvian tourism industry gets behind the idea of cetacean tourism, it could increase dramatically."

Mundo Azul is in process to establish Peru´s first whale watching ecotourism project involving the local fishermen community in Pucusana.

» back