SENSE Whale Watching Stewardship Program
Tour Operators Take Steps Towards Responsible Viewing of Whales
Sep 11, 2009
Whale SENSE is a program being forwarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to promote responsible stewardship of whales in the Northeastern United States. The Whale SENSE program encourages whale watching companies to operate responsibly, provides training to tour vessel crews, and offers a recognition plan that companies can use in their tour advertising. Companies that participate in Whale SENSE can use the program logo in their advertising.
The Meaning of SENSE
SENSE used in the Whale SENSE title is an acronym developed by NOAA to describe this whale stewardship plan. The acronym stands for:
S – Stick to NOAA’s guidelines for viewing whales
E – Educate onboard naturalists, vessel operators and tour guests to exercise SENSE while watching whales
N – Notify natural resource agencies of problems related to whales or whale watching activities
S – Set an example for others while on the water
E – Encourage good ocean stewardship practices with others
NOAA worked with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and tour operators to develop the Whale SENSE program. The whale watching industry is in a unique position to help NOAA monitor the condition of whale populations, notify responsible parties of whales in distress, and watch that the marine mammals are not harassed by careless tour operators. Partner companies agree in the Whale SENSE program to:
- Utilize responsible whale viewing practices
- Provide guests onboard with quality educational opportunities
- Promote good ocean and whale stewardship practices
- Provide passage of SENSE program evaluators on whale watching cruises
- Participate in annual reviews of the program with its sponsors
- Distribute outreach materials to guest onboard tours
In a press release describing the program, NOAA biologist Allison Rosner says, “Tour companies in the Whale SENSE program that prioritize education and responsible whale watching could be very attractive to potential customers who spend quite a lot to view these animals in their natural habitat.”
Best Practices for Whale Watching
Recreational boaters interested in marine wildlife watching can learn from the best practices used by commercial whale watching companies. These companies follow a number of procedures while near whales and some of these practices can easily be followed by other boaters:
- Maintain a lookout while operating near marine mammals
- Avoid sudden changes in speed or direction while near marine mammals
- Avoid head on approaches with animals in the water
- Parallel the course and speed of moving whales and stay at least 300 feet (1500 feet for Right whales) away from them
- Stay in radio communication with other nearby boats
- Never block the path of a whale or box it into an enclosed area
- Cease viewing of marine mammals before sunset to avoid accidental contacts
- Avoid boat movements that could separate whale mothers and calves
- Leave the area slowly if vessel activity disturbs animals
Companies wishing to participate in the SENSE program must participate in training provided by NOAA on operational safety and whale ecology each year. Companies completing this training can use the SENSE logo in their advertising and are listed on the Whale SENSE website. Currently the program is available to whale watching companies operating in Maine south to Virginia.
For Further Information Contact:
Contact Allison Rosner with NOAA at 978-281-9328 or Regina Asmutis-Silvia with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society at 508-746-2522.
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