The Workshop was opened with welcoming comments from Dr. Carole Carlson, Steering Committee Member, and the Chairperson, Prof. Phoebe Wray, Dr. Kevin Chu, Special Assistant to the Regional Director of the United States National Marine Fisheries Service read a letter of goodwill and encouragement from Dr. D. James Baker, Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the US Department of Commerce and US Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. Good wishes from Dr. Ray Gambell, Secretary of the International Whaling Commission, were also conveyed by Prof. Wray.
The Workshop was dedicated to Steve Leatherwood in memory of his dedication to science and education and his great generosity of spirit. He was an inspiration to many people and made significant contributions to marine mammal science and conservation.
Rapporteurs were approved, being David Wiley of the International Wildlife Coalition and Cathie Swanson of IFAW. With some amendments and additions, the agenda was adopted (see Appendix A).
The Observers were welcomed. Their direct participation was invited at the breaks and later when sessions broke into small-roup meetings to review the draft report.
The Chairperson then gave the charge to the meeting, noting that 16 countries were represented as participants at the Workshop.
The Workshop recognised that all whale watching should have a strong education component and that education should be the driving force behind the whale watch experience. Although education opportunities and resources vary by site and platform of operation, efforts should be made to maximise all opportunities.
Educational focus must include local, regional and international information, as well as an overview of historic, present and future environmental and other relevant issues. High standards must apply equally to the operation of vessels around whales and such operation should enhance the educational experience.
The Workshop felt that there has been a modest improvement in the quality, content and presentation of educational materials pertaining to whale watching, but that more is needed.
The Workshop recommended that all international, inter-governmental and governmental organisations (e.g., International Whaling Commission (IWC), United Nations Environment Programme, national regulatory and development agencies) adopt this common vision when reviewing or considering whale watch activities.
The goal of the Workshop was to provide recommendations for maximising the educational experience of a whale watch. The Workshop recognised that there are differences in the quality and quantity of educational materials, involving culture, species being observed, platforms of observation, locality, maturity of the industry, audience, and the personal skills of the educators.
The first question was: how do people get information about whale watching? This information is received in a number of ways which were categorised as:
Specific items under these categories were defined as:
a) Primary
b) Secondary
The Workshop defined the following working terms for the purposes of discussion.
Whale: Whale was used in a generic sense to mean any of the 81 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises except where discussion centred on a specific species.
Whale watching: Watching cetaceans in the wild. Almost invariably, whale watching is conducted from a platform (e.g., ship, shore, airplane). The definition also includes whale watching with a commercial element and opportunistic amateur whale watching.
Education: The Workshop believed that education is more than the mere transfer of information. It agreed that education should be a normative process, resulting in increased awareness. It was a strong feeling of the Workshop that education include the goal of changing human attitudes while maintaining respect for other cultures and individual ideas.
Educational whale watching: Any experience which, through exposure to wild cetaceans, advances education as defined above.
Whale watching is diverse depending upon species, locale, culture and facility the operation. Attempting to discuss each of these variations was beyond the scope of the Workshop. However, it was necessary to recognise and
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identify the range of whale watch opportunities. It is thereby possible to make specific suggestions as well as provide general recommendations. The Workshop acknowledged that techniques and materials for dolphin watching trips are sometimes different from those for large cetaceans. Dolphins tend to be very active, and while this may inspire the watchers with excitement and delight, it is a greater challenge for guides, as they must interpret a variety of behaviours, many occurring simultaneously and recurring in a short period of time. Therefore, the education process is likely to be approached differently, at least sometimes, i.e., interpretation could be shorter during the encounter and longer afterwards.
It was recognised that the educational content will vary, dependent upon a number of factors such as the composition of the whale watching group (e.g., general public, school class, special tour group); different types of whale watching platforms; and differences in educational methods of various countries (see Table 14, below).
To approach the educational values of whale watching the Workshop asked the question "What should be included in whale watching education?" A model was prepared.
Educational activity was envisioned as a five-part whale watch journey:
The Workshop had previously identified how people find out about whale watching. The pre-journey discussion centred on the advertising content of commercial and non-commercial whale watching brochures, the level of client expectations, and educational tools which would encourage people to go whale watching.
The level of client expectation must be realistic so that whale watchers are not disappointed. Whale watching resembles other wildlife safaris where there are no guarantees that lions, tigers or other charismatic creatures will be seen. Using a slogan such as "Nature is not predictable" was suggested as a way to remind the public that every cruise might not be successful. The use of the legend "Nature Tours" instead of "Whale Watching" has been used in some cases, as in Dominica, and has been successful in promoting whale watching. It was believed that tour operators who set forward true statements about the possibility of seeing whales would have more credibility with the public.
Conservation awareness should start with the whale watching brochure, which should contain information about species and ecological systems. Such brochures are often passed along to children, or to friends and become a part of the educational effort. Brochures should reflect a concern for the welfare of the species to be watched and the ecosystem in general.
Without sacrificing aesthetics or the "business side" of whale watching, the Workshop stressed the need for accuracy in promotional materials, including the visual impact of the brochures. Highly dramatic action photos of cetaceans should be balanced with other scenes, and only species which are commonly seen ought to be shown.
A note in the brochure stating that the tour operator adheres to a code of conduct when encountering whales would, it was felt, induce confidence in clients. The clients also then become a part of the monitoring of good whale watch practices.
The Workshop noted that in some places where whale watching is or will be conducted, operators do not have the money to produce brochures. It was felt strongly that brochures need not be fancy. The text is most important. In some cases, NG0s assist tour operators who lack funds for promotional materials. The NG0s can benefit as well by placing a subscription blank or other information about their group in the brochure.
The Workshop strongly encouraged high standards among tour operators in the production of their advertising and brochures.
There are many ways to pass along information cheaply and without sophisticated technology. These include posted signs (commercially done or hand-lettered), bulletin boards, and simplest of all, verbal communication. Educational tools such as displaying the logbooks of whale watching vessels in the ticket office for potential clients to see the reality of cruise sightings was another suggestion. Media coverage of whale watching cruises should be encouraged but should, if possible, level expectations with reality. Such coverage is also free and effective advertising.
The journey to the whales provides the opportunity to inform passengers about safety regulations, codes of conduct, how to take good photographs, and the whales and other wildlife likely to be seen.
At "dock-side", which may be on the dock, on the boat as it begins to go to sea, at the starting site of on-shore whale watching, or at an interpretation centre, several educational components were identified as important:
Once the boat or the walk is underway, other kinds of information can be presented, including:
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Initial information given to clients should include a code of conduct, ethics, and regulations. This information should be verbal and also, if possible, written (posted or included in hand-out material). This should include the importance of guidelines to protect both the animals and their habitat. Education should emphasise the animals' welfare as a priority. Information should be presented in a variety of ways, since people's attention span and mental focus is scattered and directed more at the voyage or walk to a whale viewing site than in listening.
If codes or regulations do not exist, the Workshop strongly suggested that they be developed. Guidance can be provided by information contained in the IWC's General Principles for Whale Watching (see Appendix B), or the Report on the Scientific Aspects of Managing Whale Watching (reprints available from IFAW).
Guides should not talk too much. Constant noise from a public address system or the tour leader can be annoying, and people can only absorb so much information at any one time.
One technique to keep the public's attention is to use story-telling and narrative, to create a goal for the trip. Visual aids such as maps, pictures, even a chalk board, and simple scientific apparatus can be used to complement the information transfer. C. The encounter
At the first encounter with a whale, usually seen at a distance, there is generally great excitement on board. Tour guides may at this point identify the species and its precise location on the clock system. When whales are up close, talking generally stops except for a quick identification of species and behaviour. Some tour guides prefer to remain silent, and to encourage silence so that each watcher can have a personal encounter with the cetacean.
Interpreting the encounter depends on the moment. When, what and how much information is given is largely based on the guide's intuition.
In shore-based whale watching, a far longer segment of the trip is often in the presence of whales. For instance, in South Africa or Argentina, the watcher could be seeing the Southern right whale for over two hours. Consequently, most of the educational effort takes place while whales are present.
Information given in the presence of whales will vary depending upon the audience, but must be specific to the moment of the encounter. Education in the presence of whales is in real time, people and whales sharing the same space and moment. It will vary from species to species. An example: sperm whales stay at the surface for short periods, generally without moving, and then dive for long periods. When the whale dives, there is ample time to talk about biology, behaviour, and the history of sperm whale/human encounters.
It can be stressed that whales are seen at the surface for brief moments and that they live in an underwater world of sound. Waiting for whales to resurface after a dive is an opportunity to emphasise research on acoustics, and paint a verbal picture of cetacean habitat.
After the excitement of the initial contact has dissipated, the Workshop felt strongly that it is important to allow time for people to experience whales in their own individual ways. Listening to the blow of the whale, or the sounds of birds and the "music" of the natural world, provides an effective learning moment, and helps create an emotional contact. To this end, silence is an effective tool and should be encouraged. However, educators should always be ready to capture the interpretive instant and take advantage of any situations which might arise.
Encounters with whales (especially the first one) can be emotional moments, and the tour guide should take that into consideration and respect the watchers' sensitivities.
Attempts should be made to identify the animal as an individual and not just as a generic "whale". This can most easily be done in areas where animals have extensive sighting histories dating back years, as with the humpback whales off the New England coast. However, most educators are unlikely to have such data, unless they work closely with researchers, which is itself recommended. The individual nature of the animal can also be emphasised by pointing out unique body markings and by having the people help track the animal(s), observing characteristic individual behaviours, mother/calf pairs or other associations, and any visual or behavioural oddities the guide may see which may not be apparent to an untrained eye.
Animals should be personalised without being anthropomorphic. An example from New England waters: the ages of some humpback whales are known, as are the number of calves some females have had over the years. There may be an opportune sighting of specific animals which have also been identified in the Caribbean. Where such information is not available, the guide can personalise the whales by discussing, for instance, feeding habits, behaviour and migratory paths.
Whale watching gives people a perspective and understanding of their environment they can't get any other way. Conservation and other "messages" should be linked to the individual whale being watched or the specific situation.
Most interpretation should focus on the activities taking place. However, seeds for more elaborate conservation themes can be planted to be expanded upon later in the trip. Questions should be solicited from the watchers and these should be repeated for the whole group before being answered.
The Workshop developed examples of conservation messages which have been and can be used.
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Tour guides have a unique opportunity on the return trip. Once the passengers get off the boat, or, in shore-based watching, return to the starting point, the full attention of the audience is lost. Guides should maximise the time they have.
The return trip allows the guide to expand upon points raised during the encounter. The guide ought to summarise what was seen and recapitulate the specifics of the trip. It is important to offer a balance between interpretation and allowing people to internalise the experience.
The journey back is the time to encourage the watchers to ask questions. If the guide has been speaking from the pilot house or somewhere apart from the watchers, he/she ought to become available on deck to answer questions. Personal interaction between the naturalist/guide and participants is an important part of the learning loop.
The amount and timing of conservation information to be disseminated was discussed at length, with several suggestions emerging. Some felt that most conservation education should be confined to this part of the journey; others thought it should be interspersed throughout the trip. Differences in the types of cetaceans encountered on trips also influence the timing of conservation information. Trips focusing on dolphins, for instance, can be different from those focusing on long-diving animals such as sperm whales.
It is important to talk about why people go whale watching and what whale watchers can do to protect whales. This is a time for anecdotal stories of whales and whale watching, to entertain and thereby educate.
On whale-less whale watch trips, the journey back is a critical time. It is a time when some other natural sites could be visited - a bird colony, an especially interesting geographical feature, fish schools, etc. Whale guides ought to have some "set piece" to soothe the disappointed whale watchers so that they are philosophical about the event and will try it again (e.g., an anecdote about the time a week was spent in stormy seas waiting for whales to show up).
Education about the local environment and culture can be both valuable and entertaining. Ideally, guides should know enough about the locality to be able to talk about it in a personal way and to make it interesting, especially to people who may not be in a happy frame of mind. The need to provide as pleasant a trip as possible on a whale-less journey points out dramatically how important it is to level client expectations with reality.
The hope and goal of whale watching education is to translate the whale watch experience to a wider audience an to inspire greater involvement and follow-up activity from those who participated.
How does the educator prolong the whale watching experience? Participants can be encouraged to stay involved by joining museums, local NG0s, etc. Guide/educators should be able to provide names and addresses of such groups.
For special groups, such as school classes, a video of the trip can be taken and given to the teacher(s) for further us by the class. This is not always possible. A camera operator might be unavailable and the cost of equipment might be out of the reach of some tour operators. Conservation activism may be encouraged after the journey is finished. This can take the form of encouraging monetary gifts for research and education, joining an NGO or going on a mailing list to receive further information. Such tools as "adoption" of whales could be suggested. Some tour operators request that watchers send copies of their best pictures to add to the photo ID catalogue. It was acknowledged that this can also lead to an expectation of involvement in the research program which the tour operators cannot fulfill.
Table 1: Diversity of Whale Watching Platforms
This table shows the diversity of whale watching platforms and the resulting diversity of educational potential and needs.
| Platform | duration | Education type or potential |
scope | audience |
| cruise ship (large) | d-w | A | G | GP |
| cruise ship (medium) | d-w | A, B | W, N, G | GP, GE |
| purpose-built large w/w boat | h-w | A, B, C | W | all |
| research vessel | d-w | A, D | W, N | HE, WE |
| sailboat | d-w | B, D | W, N, G | all |
| dinghy | h | C | W, N | HE, WE |
| zodiac/panga | h-w | C, D | W, N | HE, WE |
| kayak/canoe | h-d | C | W, N, G | HE, HE |
| fishing/whaling boat | h | B, C | W | all |
| ferry | h | B, C | W, N | all |
| swim with/feeding dolphins | h-d | B, C | W | WE |
| aircraft | h | C, D | W, N, G | all |
| shore-based | h-d | A, B, C, D | W, N | all |
Duration: h - hours; d - days; w - week or more.
Education type/potential:
Scope:
Audience:
All whale watch operations face some difficulties with interpretation and education for tourists who do not speak the language of the locality. This problem can exist even within a multi-lingual country, such as South Africa where eleven distinct languages are recognised. One of the problems in production of education material is the very high cost of printing in more than one language. In some operations, this is prohibitive.
The problems of presenting multilingual information may be remedied by having both verbal and written information. Both methods present challenges: verbal repetition in too many languages may be tuned out by the watchers and printed material can become litter. It therefore becomes a matter of quality of information rather than quantity.
The Workshop suggested some ways of dealing with this problem.
There is no easy solution to this problem. It is especially acute in developing countries and at pioneering whale watch venues. It may be possible for NG0s to provide multi-lingual materials to operators who cannot afford them.
The importance of interaction between the guide and the watchers becomes even more important in the presence of language difficulties. Examples were provided of guides spontaneously using drawings and sounds in the presence of a language barrier.
It was pointed out that using enthusiastic local people as tour guides tends to mitigate the problem. Even though the language is not understood, with goodwill and pantomime, the information may be conveyed. The example from South Africa, where only shore-based whale watching is available, shows that a community-based guide program increases tourist satisfaction dramatically, despite the language difficulty, because watchers are given spontaneous information about the local culture as well as the whales.
The Workshop acknowledged that many technological "fixes" are not available in developing areas. In these cases, site-specific written information is of increased importance, because local guides may lack extensive information to share and may have difficulties interacting with the public. There are major differences in what interpretive resources are available based on the maturity of the whale watch activity at the site.
The kinds of science information to be provided was discussed in depth. It is recognised that guides can be anecdotal, relating first-hand experiences. Detail (but not accuracy) in science information may be sacrificed to establish a good guide/watcher relationship. Printed materials can present information in more depth.
It was suggested that the general rule used by museums - that of gearing materials to the level of 10-12 year olds - be followed in the creation of educational materials. The initial information is simple and understandable, then, depending upon the age and sophistication of the watchers, more elaborate data may be provided.
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