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1 - Tourism, cetaceans and sustainable development

Moving beyond simple binaries and intuitive assumptions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2014

By
James Higham ,
Lars Bejder  and
Rob Williams
Edited by
James Higham ,
Lars Bejder  and
Rob Williams
James Higham
Affiliation:
University of Otago, New Zealand
Lars Bejder
Affiliation:
Murdoch University, Western Australia
Rob Williams
Affiliation:
University of St Andrews, Scotland
James Higham
Affiliation:
University of Otago, New Zealand
Lars Bejder
Affiliation:
Murdoch University, Western Australia
Rob Williams
Affiliation:
University of St Andrews, Scotland
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Summary

The majestic aspects of whales – their size; the apparent intelligence of some whales; the songs of others – led to rediscovery of the old iconography – whales as magnificent in their own right

(Corkeron, 2006: 161)

Introduction

Of the few iconic experiences available in the natural world, little compares to killer whales (Orcinus orca) outwitting and overpowering their prey, a cooperative group of feeding humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), the flukes of a diving sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) or the spectacular aerial displays of socializing bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.). These stunning megafauna experiences explain the widespread rejection of whale hunting and the phenomenal growth of whale-watching in recent decades (Hoyt, 2001; O’Connor et al., 2009; Cisneros-Montemayor et al., 2010). Under the circumstances, it is remarkable that these animals, and indeed all species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), vary so widely in the legal and management protection they receive in jurisdictions around the world.

Cetaceans trigger sentiments of awe, inspiration and excitement. ‘Few creatures carry more emotion…than whales; and few issues arouse as much passion as whaling’ (Hammond, 2006: 54). These emotions and passions give rise to deeply entrenched and, at times, bitterly conflicting views on whales in terms of utility, identity, nationhood and sovereignty. The sinking of the Ady Gil, flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, while protesting against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary in 2010 highlights these entrenched views. Few wildlife species are contested as intensely as whales.

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Type
Chapter
Information
Whale-watching
Sustainable Tourism and Ecological Management
 , pp. 1 - 16
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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