Responsible Marine Wildlife Watching

Compassionate travelers should only participate in responsible marine wildlife watching. To reduce the potential for wildlife viewing that could harm marine mammals or humans or violates national and state laws, WSPA recommends the following guidelines.

Whale and dolphin watching operations should:

Approach cautiously and maintain safe distances

Approach from a right angle to the animal(s), or slightly behind. Never approach head on or from directly behind, or block the animals’ direction of travel.
Limit the vessel’s approach to 100 meters (109 yards) for whales and 50 meters (55 yards) for dolphins. Note: Federal and state approach regulations are stricter for certain marine species. For example, laws prohibit approaching the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale closer than 500 meters (547 yards).
Not go closer than 200 meters (219 yards) if another boat is already at the safe approach distance.
Communicate with other boats to take turns at the safe approach distance.

Regulate speed

Slow down to a ‘no wake’ speed (less than 5 knots) 300 meters (328 yards) from whales or dolphins.
Keep the engine in neutral (or better still turn it off) if the whales or dolphins approach the vessel closer than 100 meters (109 yards).

Control boat handling and behavior

Maintain a predictable course and speed near the animals.
Not encircle or trap marine mammals between boats, or boats and the shore.
Be particularly cautious around mother-calf pairs, ensuring that they are not separated by the boat.
Maintain the same course and speed if dolphins join a moving vessel to ride its bow-wave. Increasing speed risks injury to the animals.
Not attempt to attract cetaceans using recordings of animals or other sounds in the water.

Limit watching times

Limit the amount of time spent watching a particular animal or group of cetaceans to 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if there are other boats wishing to observe the same group.
Not follow animals if they avoid the boat or leave the area.

Manage passenger behavior

Keep noise to a minimum when in the vicinity of cetaceans.
Prohibit feeding of or swimming with the animals.
Prohibit throwing rubbish or missiles into the water or at the animals.