Whale watching is a growing industry in the Southern Hemisphere. It is so much better to see whales in the wild. Whales and dolphins supposedly performing tricks for us in aquariums have been torn from their natural social environment, from their family units, deprived of their need to associate with their own kind and sentenced to a lifetime of confinement.

While it much better to visit whales and dolphins in their natural environment these visits need to be done with care. So it is important to ask what makes a good Whale Watching trip?

The following guidelines have been provided by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) who specialize in this information.

Whale Watching operations are almost always commercial ventures and those operators offering a substandard service rely on passengers choosing indiscriminately and just getting on the first boat they see at the dock or simply not being well-informed about what to expect. If passengers insist on using only those operators who provide a truly balanced, educational Whale Watching experience, this sends out a powerful message to the poorer operators to "clean up their act" and improve the quality of their venture. This usually leads to an overall improvement in the quality of Whale Watching trips on offer in the area - which can only have a beneficial effect upon the whales and dolphins themselves.

Here are some guidelines for selecting a good Whale Watching trip. Before you book a trip or buy tickets for a certain boat, ask for an information leaflet, read display boards or ask questions at the booking office. Make sure that you are happy with what is on offer before you actually buy a ticket or board the vessel. A good Whale Watching operator will do the following things:

Put the animals first
This means careful and responsible boat handling. It is sometimes easy to forget that we are uninvited guests in the whales' world and we are privileged to see them. We have a responsibility to cause as little disturbance as possible. It is always tempting to try to get as close as possible to the whales, especially if you are trying to take photographs, but remember that these are truly wild animals and constant disturbance can seriously affect their ability to feed, rest and rear their young. Imagine how you would feel if a coach-load of tourists descended on your living room and expected to photograph your family having Sunday lunch! In fact, careful and considerate behaviour around the whales usually results in much longer encounters with them, and the added bonus of observing their natural behaviour. Fleeing whales are no fun to watch!

Follow regulations governing Whale Watching in their area.

In some parts of the world, there are specific regulations governing Whale Watching, (specifying minimum approach distances, etc.,) with legal enforcement. However, in many other areas, the regulations are not adequately enforced, or there may be a code of conduct, but no means of enforcing this, relying on the goodwill of participating operators. Worse still, there are areas where Whale Watching is a "free for all" with nothing to prevent irresponsible operators from continually harassing the whales and dolphins in an attempt to get their passengers close to the whales as quickly as possible.

It is a good idea to find out whether any regulations or voluntary codes apply in the area before you board the boat. Ask the operator questions to show that you are aware of applicable regulations and don't be afraid to speak up if you feel that a boat captain is not behaving responsibly and putting the needs of the animals first.Have adequate safety provisions.

A safe whale-watch boat should have: an experienced skipper; crew who are well-trained in first aid and rescue skills; appropriate safety equipment (such as VHF radio, good quality lifejackets, flares, inflatable lifeboat, food and water reserves, etc); appropriate insurance; a maximum number of passengers; a tried and tested emergency drill, and a properly prepared safety briefing for all passengers.

Offer high standards of customer care
This means honest advertising of what passengers can expect from the trip. This may include offering a "sightings success rate" but this should be realistic as, with few exceptions, it is virtually impossible to guarantee sightings on every trip. Every aspect of the trip should be professional, which means a fair ticket price; punctual departures; the vessel should be clean, and the crew friendly and polite. If a trip has to be cancelled due to adverse sea and weather conditions, find out whether there is a policy of refunding fares or offering free places on a future trip.

Have an onboard naturalist-guide
This is really important and can make the difference between a "run of the mill" trip and a really memorable experience! Choose a vessel which offers some form of educational commentary - preferably both before and during the trip. The larger boats may employ a trained naturalist and this is always preferable, but on the smaller boats, the skipper may also be trained to act as a guide.

A good guide will give you a lively and entertaining commentary on the various species of whales and dolphins you are hoping to see, as well as the other marine wildlife in the area. They will also be knowledgeable about any threats facing local marine wildlife or their habitat. It can be difficult to positively identify a whale or dolphin which is some distance away and here, the trained eyes of the guide will help you to identify that "small black fin to starboard"! The guide will also be able to interpret the behaviour of the whales and dolphins being observed and this can really add to your understanding and enjoyment of the experience.
A really well-rounded commentary may also include slides, posters or maps; recordings of whale songs, and the guide may pass around a photo-id catalogue, depicting local whales and dolphins, samples of baleen, a jawbone, or teeth, for passengers to examine.

Carry out research
This isn't an essential ingredient for a good Whale Watching trip, but there are several advantages in having a researcher onboard. On some boats, the naturalist-guide may also use the vessel as a platform for their research activities, such as logging sightings and photo-identification studies. Sometimes passengers may be able to assist with simple studies. This adds a new dimension to the experience and is also an excellent way of learning and feeling more involved. A good operator will recognise the need to find out as much as possible about the whales, dolphins and other wildlife in the area. Ongoing research can benefit their business by providing a continually expanding source of knowledge on the local whales and their daily and seasonal movements. Local research institutions may also benefit from receiving a percentage of profits from the Whale Watching business.

Many scientists and welfare people are now saying that dolphin interaction programs, from touching and feeding, to swimming in the dolphin's environment, be it captive or wild, are unwise for both the animals and people. In most cases it is too difficult to ensure that wild dolphins are not being harassed by the interaction. Dolphins can be forced to leave their natural habitat to escape the commercial tours and their natural behaviour can also be affected.

Dolphins are large, strong animals, perfectly adapted to the conditions of the open ocean. Held in a confined space and subjected to forced interaction with humans, aggressive behaviour can have serious consequences. A recent study carried out by Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) into dolphin/visitor interactions at marine parks in America records many incidents of aggressive behaviour by dolphins towards human visitors such as threats, biting and butting.

The WDCS study also raises serious concerns regarding the potential for the transmission of disease between human visitors and dolphins. Inadequate regulations exist in relation to interactions between captive dolphins and members of the public. WDCS is bringing its concerns and evidence to the attention of relevant governments and other interested parties, who must address the potential consequences for both human and dolphins of these interaction programs.