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Whale Watching -
WWOANW Guidelines & Background
Look Before You Book
This logo assures you of proper wildlife viewing,
trained naturalists and responsible stewardship.
This association has also joined partnership with People
For Puget Sound
Background Information
The Whale Watch Operators Association - North West is the
international industry organization representing commercial whale
watchers operating in the Pacific North West waters of Juan de
Fuca, Haro and Georgia Straights, the waters of Puget Sound and
those waters surrounding the Gulf and San Juan Islands. Generally,
the waters home to the Southern Vancouver Island resident Killer
Whales known as J, K and L pods.
WWOANW members have compiled a vast number of hours of observation
of the J, K & L Pods comprising the largest known body of
observational knowledge of these whales. One of the results of
the continuous review of these observations has been the refinement
of conservation objectives and the resultant ongoing development
of guidelines outlining the best practice given a certain situation
when a vessel encounters various marine mammals, particularly
Killer Whales.
One of the Association's major objectives is to assist in
the conservation of all marine species in these waters, but particularly
to contribute to the conservation of these resident Killer Whales.
A very large accomplishment towards this conservation objective
was the development of the original Guidelines in the early 1990's.
Those rudimentary Guidelines have now been developed into this
series of Best Practices Guidelines of the new millennium, the
objectives of which are two-fold: Firstly, to minimize potential
negative impacts on marine wild life populations by maintaining
normal daily and seasonal activity patterns in the short and
long terms; and, Secondly, to provide the best viewing opportunities
such that watchers have ability to enjoy and learn about wild
life through observation, whether for pleasure, commerce or research
purposes with the objective of sustaining all such activities.
In addition to these conservation objectives, some Guidelines
are intended to manage vessel traffic in order to fairly and
efficiently move vessels through transition zones as well as
in the viewing area. These are intended to increase viewing opportunities
for all persons and further minimize the impact on the various
animals.
The industry, government and non-governmental-organization
conservation management model employed in these waters (and initiated
by the Whale Watch Operators Association - North West) is one
of the most comprehensive self-management conservation frameworks
in the world. Its pioneering framework is a model being applied
in the conservation management of other species in other parts
of the world. It has proven to be one the most utilizable conservation
tools anywhere and has been presented at the Conference of the
North American Committee for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC)
attended by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
General Application
These Best Practices Guidelines are to be applied by all members'
vessels and those others who wish to manage their vessels responsibly
while in the presence of marine wild life. Member vessel operators
are required to review and be proficient in the application of
these Best Practices Guidelines.
It is worthy of note that these Best Practices Guidelines
are significantly more stringent than the Laws and Regulations
currently in effect in both Canada and the U.S.A.. Where a situation
has not been addressed in these Best Practices Guidelines it
is the intention that the prevailing regulation of the relevant
jurisdiction be observed. In Canada, that is the federal Fisheries
Act and in the U.S.A that is the federal Marine Mammal Protection
Act. Member vessel operators are required to be thoroughly familiar
with sets of Regulations and ensure compliance at all times,
in addition to complying with these WWOA-NW Best Practices Guidelines.
click here for the
Whale Watching Guidelines
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