Zoopolitik

Whale Watching Profit Spurs Recklessness

by Harry Haller at 10:51 AM | Bay at the Moon | Ping Me!

Image via Wikipedia

Via NatHistoryWhale at the Museum of Natural History comes a story in the Sri Lanka Sunday Times “Plus” section entitled, “What are we doing to these gentle mammals of the sea?” I couldn’t help thinking, as I read the account of a stampeded baleen whale robbed of a complete breath, of waterboarding:

>On the first day, we found a baleen whale being completely surrounded by whale watch boats and being chased at high speed every time it surfaced to breathe. There were a total of five whale watch boats around it of which only one (the large boat operated by the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Cooperation in collaboration with Walkers Tours) was operating in a professional and correct manner that did not unduly stress the whale and also provided safety for the whale watchers on board. Their caution and correct conduct should be commended and held up as an example of how to do it right. All the other commercial whale watch boats, regardless of their size and who was operating them, were harassing the whale throughout this encounter making it change its natural behaviour due to the stress they were causing it. Large baleen whales usually surface after a dive and blow slowly and deliberately at the surface while they rest and exhale.

>They blow many times to replenish much of the air in their lungs to dive again. Once they have done this they will slowly dive once more to feed. Unfortunately the whale watch boats went charging towards the whale every time it surfaced, forcing it to hurriedly take a few breaths and re-submerge before it was ready for another dive. By doing this the boats were causing much physical stress to the animal while also making sure that the whale watchers who pay a large sum for these expeditions got only fleeting views of the whale. If like the large CFHC vessel all the boats just lower their speed and idle at a safe distance it is possible to watch these animals for a long time as they will spend more time at the surface affording whale watchers long and memorable experiences and many good photo opportunities.

Later in the story a blue whale and her calf are harassed as they feed. It left me wondering how news accounts would read if the mother, fearing for the well-being of her child, turned and charged the boat, spilling its occupants into the ocean. I’m willing to bet the whale would get the blame and be called a “rogue” or a “renegade.”

As writer Anouk Ilangakoon reminds readers, responsible whale watching might prove a boon to southern Sri Lanka’s economy, but recklessness in the burgeoning industry could stem its growth before it reaches maturity.

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