TUI was one of the pioneers at the beginning of the nineties in offering whale watching to nature-loving holidaymakers on the Canary Islands. Since then, there has been a real boom. Tenerife has now recorded its millionth tourist on a whale watching trip and thus leads the world ahead of the USA and Canada.
Studies in the mid-nineties already revealed negative effects of the many boat trips on the whales. As a result, TUI removed this trips from its programme and they have not been available for many years now. The ever increasing interest of holidaymakers in this natural phenomenon reveals that new concepts for responsible whale watching are urgently required.
Together with the nature conservation organisations Sociedad Española de Cetáceos (Tenerife) and M.E.E.R. e.V. (La Gomera and Tenerife), TUI therefore conceived whale watching trips which take into consideration the principles of sustainability and species protection and raise the awareness of holidaymakers by providing trained guides and information material on the subject.
TUI Criteria for Responsible Whale Watching
We visit the whales in their natural habitat and should therefore think of ourselves as their guests!
Whales have to be able to dictate the situation themselves at all times!
- Complying with all legal stipulations, effective controls through local agencies, and/or authorised institutions
- Cooperation with local nature conservation organisations or scientists (e.g. carrying out research into the influence of whale watching boats on whales)
- Information passed on by way of trained staff and information material
- Strictly limited number of boats simultaneously being in close proximity to a group of whales
- Complying with a defined and locally valid minimum distance kept (e.g. 60 m on the Canaries) except when the whales approach of their own accord
- Strict speed limits: sailing at low speed parallel to the swimming direction of the whales, no sudden changes in speed or direction
- No chases, no separation of groups of whales or cutting off their paths Avoiding interaction with whales (e.g. no feeding or stroking, no throwing of objects at whales, no swimming with the whales, no noise)