Do Whale Watching Boats disturb our Whales?I am often asked why it is necessary for people to go out to sea to see the whales when they can be seen from our shores without being disturbed by boats. Surely the boats will frighten the animals and chase them away from our coast forever! Some 10 years ago I also asked those same questions. I had retired to my home above the cliffs of de Kelders to do a little fishing and spent many hours watching the animals at play from my balcony. There can be no greater experience than to meet one of these animals in its own environment. They are so big and we are so small. A number of my guests have been totally overcome and brought to tears by the emotional experience of having one of these incredible giants interact with us. 
The Southern Right Whale can be inquisitive and will, more often than not, interact with a boat, sometimes playful or showing-off, showing every sign of enjoying your company. On other occasions they can totally ignore you. We allow the whale to dictate the type of company it wants and will never chase a whale to show it to our guests. Successful interaction is based on the manner in which the skipper approaches the animal. By 1995 Boat based whale watching had taken off around the world. Illegal operators were already offering whale trips in South Africa. We heard about whales that had been frightened away from the shores other countries because of the proliferation of whale watching boats. Naturally many of us feared that the same would happen here. The people of Hermanus were particularly perturbed. The best land-based whale watching in the world could be ruined by these boat based whale watchers. The authorities had to step in. In 1996 Dr Ken Findlay, one of our leading Marine Biologists was given the task of doing a scientific study of the effects of boats approaching our whales. He chartered my boat, Ivanhoe, with me as his skipper. The study was to be done on the Southern side of Walker Bay, off the Plaat, a mainly beach area second only to the De Hoop Nature Reserve for numbers of Southern Right Whale visitors over the whale season. Kens first step was to establish a base station in the corner of the Bay, high up on the cliffs of de Kelders where watchers would have a clear view of the whales in the area. Here he placed a small team of observers equipped with 2-way radios, powerful telescopes and special equipment capable of recording the exact positions of the whales. They were put in position each morning and had to record the position of each group of whales, their speed and direction of travel and every move they made. The exact time of each movement such as blows, dives, how long down, rolls, flipper slaps and flipper waves and lobtailing or sailing was recorded. This had to be done for at least an hour before any approach could be made to the group by us on my boat Ivanhoe... In the mean time we had launched from Gansbaai Harbour and were stationed some 500m off the groups being watched. Once the base station had recorded the movements of the group for an hour Ken would give the OK to approach them. Various types of approaches were made. From the front, the back, 45 degrees from the front and the back and at varying speeds and distances to the animals During all of this the shore base continued monitoring and recording every action of the whales in the group. At the same time Ken’s crew on Ivanhoe also recorded their actions and movements. My GPS was used to give the position, speed and direction of the movements of the group. 
We experimented with stopping distances of 200m, 100m, 75m, 50m and closer to the group. After an hour close to the group we would then move off. We experimented with fast to slow speed approaches, and when we left the group, what distance we had to be before we could increase our speed without them being affected. Finally the shore team had to continue monitoring the group for another hour after we had left them. We would then proceed to the next group which had already been monitored by the shore team and the exercise repeated. Ken left nothing to chance. The aim of the exercise was to establish whether the visit to the group had any effect on them. Whether they changed their behaviour while we approached them. What distance or approach speeds caused changes in their behaviour? What type of approach resulted in the whales being disturbed? The results of the research were interesting. Ken established that if the approach started at a no-wake speed some 300m from the whales and the departure also kept to a no-wake speed till some 2/300m from the animals, they showed no signs of being disturbed. As long as the speed of the approach and departure was kept to a no-wake speed( +/- 3kph); made from 45degrees side on to the head to about 50m from the group, the animals showed little or no behaviour changes except to show interest in the vessel. Usually at about 100m from the whales they show signs of being aware of your approach, but remained unconcerned as long as the no-wake speed remains constant. Sudden increases in speed and high speed passes within 300m from the whales most definitely had a negative effect on the animals. However of great interest was the fact that if approached as described above, more often than not, the whales then approached the boat, often showing great interest in it. They dive under it, spyhop and roll next to it, watching it, playing with it. On occasion will touch it with the tail or a flipper. They sometimes go under you and lift the boat up a centimetre or two and on occasion will follow you when you try to depart from them. Actions that result in our guests returning to us year after year. In 1998 legislation was passed legalising boat based whale watching. Only 1 permit per area was to be granted. Boats had to approach at a no-wake speed from 300m and stop some 50m from the whales. The vessel is allowed to remain in position if the whale approaches it. Cows with calves were not allowed to be approached. Of course there are a great number of other conditions and regulations included covering everything from the skippers and guides qualifications to the areas, boats, safety and of course the protection of our whales. Those who would like to study the act in detail can find it in Section 79 of the Marine Living Resources Act(No. 18 of 1998)
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