Tourists getting close to whales, is it what whale-watching is all about?

To date research on whale-watching has tended to focus on impacts on the whales. Management approaches often rely on minimum approach distances. An associated assumption is that whale-watchers wish to get close to whales. Studies of motivation for other recreational activities show that humans seldom undertake recreational activities for simplistic reasons. Thus, this study was developed to determine the influences over whale-watchers’ enjoyment, more specifically, to assess the importance of the geographical proximity of whales. Twelve whale-watch cruises at Tangalooma, Australia were surveyed and 704 questionnaires analysed. Results showed the number of whales and their behaviour, numbers of fellow passengers, cruise duration, boat construction and sea-sickness influenced satisfaction. The geographical proximity of the whales was not a major influence. Many whale-watchers (35 per cent) returned satisfied even when no whales were sighted. Whale-watching is not simply about getting close to whales, many other variables are important. A better understanding of the watchers, as well as the whales, will assist in the sustainable management of this growing tourism industry.