Do whale-watching tours help whale conservation?

    It may seem odd when you first hear about it, but there is a lot of controversy these days about weather or not whale watching should be legal at all. Whale-watching tours are popular with many people. Tours take groups of people out into the ocean to see whales close-up. A variety of boats are used, from small rubber life boats to large boats carrying 200 people or more. People taking,the tours are thrilled and awed by their experience. However, some people complain that whale watchers harass the whales. They think that the tours should be stopped or kept from coming too near the whales.

Pros for whale-watching tours:

1. People who see whales up close come away with a new respect and appreciation for whales. These people will want to help save whales from extinction.

2. Whale-watching provides income for people and communities. It shows those who used to depend on whaling that whales are worth more alive than dead.

3. Many whales seem to enjoy contact with whale watchers. They approach the boats and seem very curious. They may even present their heads or flippers for people to touch.
 

Cons against whale-watching tours:

1. You can appreciate whales from a distance. When you get too close, you may disturb them or even draw the attention of predators like killer whales to them.

2. The more thrilling the experience, the more money the tour operator makes. Some operators may be tempted to approach whales too closely and take risks in order to increase their profits.

3. Whale watchers may affect whale behavior and migrations in ways we do not yet understand.

     As you can see, there are great reasons both for and against whale watching tours. For now it's completely legal in all countries, but if the population keeps dwindleing, one day we may be forced to stop these otherwise helpful excursions. Perhaps you'd better charter your trip sooner rather than later, and bring a videocam so that your grandchildren may know what it's like.