Whale-Watching

Within little more than a generation, whale-watching has been subject to global industrial development. It has been portrayed by destinations and business operators, and advocated by environmental groups, as a sustainable activity and an alternative to whaling. However, in recent years the sustainability of these activities has increasingly been questioned, as research shows that repeated disturbance by boat traffic can severely disrupt critical behaviours of cetaceans in the wild. Bringing together contributions by international experts, this volume addresses complex issues associated with commercial whale-watching, sustainable development and conservation of the global marine environment. It highlights widely expressed concerns for the failure of policy, planning and management and pinpoints both long-standing and emerging barriers to sustainable practice. Featuring numerous case studies, the book provides critical insights into the diverse socio-cultural, political, economic and ecological contexts of this global industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that arise along the pathways to sustainability.

James Higham is Professor of Tourism at the University of Otago, New Zealand and Visiting Professor of Sustainable Tourism at the University of Stavanger, Norway. His research interests focus on various aspects of tourism and environmental change.

Lars Bejder is an Associate Professor at Murdoch University, Australia and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Duke University, USA. His research interests include analysis and development of quantitative methods to evaluate complex animal social structures, evaluation of the impacts of human activity on cetaceans, and fundamental biology and ecology.

Rob Williams is a Canadian marine conservation biologist and a Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow with the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. His research focuses on estimating wildlife abundance and distribution and assessing impacts of human activities on behaviour and energetics of marine mammals.