In recent winters, whale watching and swim-with-whale tours have been popular tourist activities around the Okinawan and Amami islands. However, there are concerns about how these tours could affect the humpback whales that are being observed. In 2022, our foundation collaborated with businesses in Okinawa Prefecture and the research organization Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) from Hawaii to launch a whale watching and swim-with-whale impact assessment study.
From studies conducted in the 2022-2023 winter, we collected data during 15 whale swim tours and 12 whale watching tours that encountered 64 groups of humpback whales. This study was reported to the IWC scientific committee sub-committee on whale watching.
As we analyze the results, we aim to help create both a better environment where humpback whales and humans can co-exist, and develop the tourism industry in Okinawa Prefecture.

Author

Stephanie H. Stack, Nozomi Kobayashi, Haruna Okabe, Sachie Ozawa

Title

Studying the behavioral impacts of commercial whale watch and swim-with-whale tours on humpback whales in Okinawa, Japan.

Scientific Committee

Report to the IWC Scientific Committee sub-committee on Whale Watching