Humpback whales

[David Haas]

I read these posts containing all manner of opinions which is what they are......

One study cited is interesting but certainly not an agreed upon peer reviewed definitive fact. I could find dozens of quotes from people studying whales for decades such as killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, Dominican Republic Humpback migrations, Hawaii and more showing no impact from divers (or snorkelers.)

I find wetb4igetinthewater usually an argumentative poster. He knows it all, cites all his credentials (despite any real world experience especially with whales in this particular discussion) and expects us all to agree.

Well I don't.....

After 53 years diving and swimming with all manner of wild animals including cetaceans (who also can leave whenever they want from snorkelers) I'd say he just argues for argument's sake.

Boats strikes, oil spills, pollution, etc. cause significantly more damage and threat to all ocean species. But as passeparici states I doubt wetb4igetinthewater is giving up diving.

Buying all manner of consumer produced goods creates incredible waste and pollution (plastic products both disposable and such) and are things people could reduce but don't (or won't.)

We all justify our decisions......Want to really help the planet?

Quit buying more crap you don't need.....Drive less, eat less, overall consume less.....Develop industries that recycle and use renewable resources including wind, sun, etc. Those things will have a much greater impact allowing all species to recover.

Seeing a whale up close was an incredible experience done with respect and caution. We spent days not getting in as the guides (at least I had) said no go. Also, the "J" drop in front of whales certainly wasn't allowed in Moorea' when I went in 2021.

Most places that regulate these encounters are interested in the whales coming back year after year so doing something that would harm them simply isn't true.

I don't need a lecture on what's right or wrong having shared many ideas how people can try and protect the ocean environment.

Just an old guy's thoughts and feel free to disagree and yes, bring on the BLOCK button on SB

David Haas

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

This kind of tourism has a negative impact on whales.

Science isn't an opinion

But I do accept the reality that most people DGAF and are so self-absorbed that they can't see beyond their noses, so even after educating them about the issues, they will not alter their behavior or wishes. Impact to wildlife/sealife will never be a consideration.

And this is clearly demonstrated here.

Conclusions​

This study highlights that both observing and swimming activities cause avoidance responses from humpback whales in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga. In particular, mother-calf pairs showed significant vertical avoidance responses, with humpback whale mothers diving for significantly longer periods of time in the presence of vessels and swimmers. Whether the short-term behavioural responses observed in Vava’u humpback whales could cause a long-term detrimental effect at the population level is unknown and needs further investigation. Again, evidence from other studies on the effects of cetacean based tourism suggests that the findings from our study in Vava’u should be cause for concern.

This study also documented low levels of compliance to Tongan regulation with regard to the minimum resting time for whales between interactions with commercial vessels.

The Tongan sub-population of humpback whales still shows little evidence of recovery after the cessation of whaling, in contrast to other regions such as the East and West coasts of Australia [40–42]. Moreover, the Vava’u island group represents one of the most important breeding and calving grounds for this population. That is, humpback whales give birth and raise calves in the sheltered waters of the archipelago, readying them for the long southward migration to Antarctica [39]. The behavioural responses documented in this study underlie the risk of detrimental effects on this population of whales targeted by swim-with-whale tourism. The rapid growth of swim-with-whales industry experienced by Vava’u over a short period of time [5] and the tour operator focus on mother-calf pairs is concerning, especially in the light of the poor compliance with regulations and the lack of enforcement of formal regulations documented by this study (Tongan Ministry of Tourism, personal communication, October 8, 2017). Some management actions have been recommended by the authors and are currently under consideration by the Tongan Ministry of Toursim:

1. Focus on increasing compliance with the existing whale-watching regulations;
2. Reduce the number of swim-with-whales licensed vessels;
3. Introduce a break time in the middle of the day (eg., from12 to 2 pm) when swim-with-whales operations are not allowed.

Overall, our findings reinforce the urge for a more cautious and effective approach to the management of swimming activities with humpback whales, both for Tongan authorities and other governments willing to permit these activities.

Effects of whale-based tourism in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga: Behavioural responses of humpback whales to vessel and swimming tourism activities

Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga, is a well-established whale-watching destination in the South Pacific. Between July and October, the waters around the archipelago represent one of the most important breeding grounds for Oceania humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The Tongan government allows...

journals.plos.org

 

[passeparici]

Someone asked me for a peer reviewed study : this one has not been peer reviewed. Sorry, it is a study but you cannot take it for granted.
There is a report from the WWF called "protecting blue corridors", it stats that 6 % of mammals spotted in sea and 20 % of those stranded on the shore have signs of collision with boats. This is far more interesting and gives real numbers. Collisions, hunt (by Japanese for instance), those are far more important factors than a few snorkelers. Maybe swimmers have an impact, but nothing is more sure than that. Yes that's only my opinion. You could feel otherwise but then I recommend you stop scuba diving altogether, because Scuba diving has an impact anyway (whales, fishes, corals ...). Our life has an impact on everything, let's be raisonnable and do things on what we do with real impact. We are to be close to animals, that's life on earth, let's do that with respect and attention. And the rules that are taken in places where you can spot the whales are a good things (less people, no boat too close). Another thing is people coming to spot the whales becomes real ambassadors to protect them...