Going for a whale-watching trip costs around NT$800 for a two-hour cruise. The cost was NT$1,200 seven years ago. In recent years, because of keen competition, the price can be as low as NT$500 during the summer vacation.
As a result, perhaps, bad practices have become common, like boats chasing the cetaceans, frightening them off. Some of the boats have such big engines and motor so fast that they disrupt the whales and dolphins' lives.
According to research by marine biologist Bernd Wusigon, the presence of rapidly moving vessels -- from the small (5m to 10m) to mid-size (10m to 20m) -- can be disturbing to both baleen and toothed whales at distances below 5km. The species become more vulnerable and sometimes the noises affect the reproduction rate. Research by professor Chou Lien-siang (
The owner of Turomoan Whale-Watching, Lin Chen-li agreed. He said originally, whale watching was
developed to promote eco-tourism, to teach people to preserve oceanic resources. But now the fast-growing business tends to neglect the essentials. Some whale-watching boats are even equipped with Karaoke. Unfortunately this only adds to the noise bombarding the whales and dolphins.
"On the sea, we [humans] are the guests and they [whales] are the real hosts. When you visit someone's home the minimal courtesy is to respect them, not to bother them too much. But a lot of people lack such basic manners."
The Fishery Bureau (
In terms of the management of whale watching, there is still a lot of room for improvement compared with countries such as New Zealand, South Africa and Iceland, said Professor Chou Lien-hsiang during the Symposium on Cetacean Ecology and Conservation (
In the attempt to improve the tourist whale-watching service, the fishery bureau has now set up an evaluation system for whale-watching businesses. Owners that keep to the guidelines get the government-approved eco-tourism badge.
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