Swim-with-whales tours offer a chance to get up close and personal with huge humpbacks, but researchers find the activity could be harming the migrating marine mammals.
Whale researchers are calling for a ban on tours allowing people to swim with whales, saying the interactions are disturbing the marine mammals on their annual migration off Australia’s east coast.Tour operator says whales decide whether to interactSwim-with-whales tours have been in operation in Queensland for seven years, offering patrons a chance to get up close and personal with the huge sea creatures.
The researchers monitored more than 75 swim-with-whales tours and 48 whale-watching boat tours during whale-watching season from 2018 to 2020."We need to give whales their space. We should be in a long-distance relationship with the whales," Ms Stack said.He said the whales came to the swimmers on their own terms.
In 2017, the Queensland government approved the tours as a permanent commercial activity in Hervey Bay, the world's first Whale Heritage Site. Since permission was first given for Hervey Bay swim-with-whales tours, there are now seven operators offering such experiences in the Great Sandy Marine Park as well as others off Cairns offering dwarf minke whale experiences.
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