Review Article

The Negative Impacts of Whale-Watching

Table 2

A checklist of questions to ascertain whether whale watching is sustainable in a region (after [74]).

Is the marine mammal population growing?
Are marine mammals moving out of an area?
Are the marine mammals exhibiting changes in behavior?
What are the levels of biological and chemical pollutants in coastal waters?
Are marine mammal tourism operators knowledgeable about marine mammals and local culture?
Are they good education providers?
Are marine mammal operators concerned about the safety and welfare of their customers?
Does the marine mammal tourism activity aid or benefit the local community?