One in 10 whale-watching tourists staying on the island said their main reason for coming to Dominica was to see whales, according to a three-year survey by CARIBwhale, the association of Caribbean whale-watch operators.
An additional 70 percent said whale-watching was one of the attractions that drew them here. From 2008 to early 2011, more than 1,000 whale-watch passengers on CARIBwhale boats, such as Dive Dominica’s, completed the survey. The questionnaire was designed and its results were analyzed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global nonprofit organization with more than a decade of conservation experience in Dominica and other Caribbean islands.
Whale watchers surveyed expressed satisfaction with their excursion in Dominica: 98 percent of those surveyed said they would recommend this tour to family and friends, and 95 percent said they would go on another whale watch tour. Three-fourths of survey respondents were very satisfied with the quality of their whale-watch tour overall, and 69 percent agreed with the statement “I learned a lot about whales and dolphins.”
Survey respondents demonstrated concern for protecting whales. Three-quarters of whale watchers said “minimizing the tour boats’ impact on marine life” was important; nearly half of all respondents (48.9 percent) said it was “very important.” Eighty-eight percent of survey respondents said that “knowing the tour operator has committed to a code of conduct” is important; 59 percent said “very important.”
CARIBwhale operators such as Mr. Augustus Bernard say they strive not only to be responsible stewards of the ocean in their work, but also to raise tourists’ awareness about protecting marine mammals.
“Even when we don’t see a whale, I want to educate tourists about whales and the environment,” said Mr. Bernard, who has 13 years of experience leading whale watches at Dive Dominica and has participated in several CARIBwhale training programs about sustainable whale watching and natural resources management. “I talk about the environment a lot, such as how trash, pollution, marine debris and all that affect marine life and whales specifically.”
Nearly half of all whale-watch survey respondents (46 percent) agreed strongly or somewhat with the statement “After this trip, I am more concerned about threats to marine life.”
“These survey results underscore that whales are worth far more to Dominica alive than dead, as clearly marine mammals and the island’s other underwater treasures are a major draw for tourists,” said Jacob Levenson, IFAW’s whale program officer. “Careful protection of these natural resources will yield long-term economic benefits for Dominicans for years to come – a position reflected in the Dominica government’s prudent and praiseworthy decision not to support a pro-whaling agenda at the meetings of the International Whaling Commission.”
The 2011 International Whaling Commission meeting is scheduled for early next month in Jersey, a small island of the United Kingdom just north of Normandy, France.
What kind of whales you can watch in Dominica?
I wonder whether we have experienced an increase in visitor arrivals as a result of the whale watching business. Since the last time I checked the Central Statistics they appeared to shame to say what the figure was and the Discover Dominica Authority said all the had was preliminary figures… I need answers from the CSO and or DDA on total visitor arrivals and how many of these come to whale watch… and whether there is an increase or decline in this market segment.
Yes, I was thinking that the stats could be more detailed. Eg. what percentage of visitors to Dominica do the survey respondant represent? It would also be good to know whether the respondents are cruise ship visitors or stayover visitors.