Friendly whales: Why do we need best practices for their observation?

Authors

  • Omar Garcia Castañeda Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Ciudad de México, México https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0417-9960
  • Steven Swartz Investigador independiente

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/ceide.16076079e.2025.26.3.6

Keywords:

Gray whale, friendly whales, whale watching, best practices

Abstract

Whale watching tourism is rapidly growing worldwide. In Mexico, gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) often display friendly or curious behavior toward boats in their breeding areas in Baja California Sur. After 30 years of research on this species, we have observed that this behavior may be due to several factors, such as the absence of hunting and human harassment, responsible management, and other factors in the observation areas. However, the increasing pressure from tourists has altered this dynamic, creating strain on tour operators and raising concerns about disturbances to whales. In this article, we emphasize the importance of empathy toward the whales’ natural needs and the necessity of responsible tourism practices, focusing on the overall experience and reducing the expectation of direct contact.

Author Biographies

Omar Garcia Castañeda, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Ciudad de México, México

Omar García-Castañeda is a marine biologist with a master's degree in Marine and Coastal Sciences from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS). He served as a professor-researcher in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences from 2019 to 2021. Since 2014, he has conducted research focused on marine mammals, specializing in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the past seven years, specifically in cetacean distribution models in the Gulf of California. More recently, he has been involved in transdisciplinary studies of socio-ecological systems and their resilience to climate change. He has actively participated in training workshops for service providers and fishing communities in over 10 locations in northwest Mexico, addressing topics such as cetacean biology, tourism impact, legislation, and best practices in whale watching. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainability Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and is a member of the Spatial Analysis Laboratory at the UNAM Institute of Biology. He is also affiliated with the Marine Mammal Research Program at UABCS (PRIMMA-UABCS), contributing to the annual monitoring of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) since 2016 and serving as a field coordinator for the last three years. Additionally, he currently holds the position of representative of the Whale Watching Committee of the Mexican Society for Marine Mammalogy (SOMEMMA).

Steven Swartz, Investigador independiente

Steven Swartz is a 1986 graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz where he was awarded his Ph.D. under Dr. Kenneth S. Norris. Steven has researched and published widely on gray whales and their breeding lagoons in Baja California. From 1977 to 1982 Steven and Mary Lou Jones conducted the first systematic research of gray whales in laguna San Ignacio in Baja California Sur, Mexico. In 2006, along with Jorge Urban R., they founded the Laguna San Ignacio Ecosystem Science Program (LSIESP) to support and encourage science-based research and monitoring of gray whales and their breeding/aggregation lagoon areas in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Steven served as a consultant to the Mexican government’s Ministry for the Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries (SEMARNAP), and worked for the Ocean Conservancy (previously the Center for Environmental Education), the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the International Whaling Commission. Steven retired from U.S. federal service in 2011 and now works as a consultant and senior scientist for non-government environmental and marine conservation organizations.

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Published

2025-05-12

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 3 (2025): Del laboratorio a la vida cotidiana: historias que transforman tu día

Section

Varietas

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