\u201cThe government just keeps giving new [whale watching] permits,\u201d says Temoana Poole, a founder of whale-based tourism operator WildM\u0101.<\/p>\n
Poole says boats in Mo\u2019orea have been increasing year after year \u2013 and estimates there are more than 50 working on his island alone. \u201cThey need to put a quota on it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Guardians of the sea<\/h2>\n
In Polynesian cultures, humpback whales are sacred animals, often seen as guardians or ancestors. Earlier this year, Indigenous leaders from French Polynesia, New Zealand and other Pacific islands signed a treaty granting whales legal personhood in a combined effort to protect them.<\/p>\n
French Polynesia is home to one of the world\u2019s largest marine sanctuaries for whales, and all marine mammals are protected species. The local tourism industry offers whale watching and swimming-with-whales tours. There are rules in place, including that operators must have a permit amd tourists must swim with a certified guide.<\/p>\n
In 2025, French Polynesia will tighten some regulations for whale-based tourism. It will introduce a quota, with only three boats permitted to approach a whale at the same time. It will restrict whale-watching operators to one boat for each company, and private boats will have to stay at least 300m away.<\/p>\n But in a move that seems at odds with improving protections, divers will be able to swim closer to whales from next year, when the current limit of 30m from the mammals will be dropped to 15m. The government says the new limit still means swimmers will be a \u201csafe distance\u201d away.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality on the ground shows that at 30m you can\u2019t see much, and the animal often approaches out of curiosity anyway. But it\u2019s still important to keep a safe distance, which we\u2019ve set at 15m,\u201d says Fanny Martre, spokesperson for the environment department.<\/p>\n Dr Mark Orams specialises in marine tourism and studied whale-based tourism in Tonga. He says allowing swimmers to get within 15m of a humpback whale is \u201cdangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese whales are 15 metres in length. You get within 15 metres and you are in immediate proximity of their biggest weapon which is their tail \u2026 I would be really concerned if there were approaches at that sort of length,\u201d says Dr Orams.<\/p>\n He adds that we probably shouldn\u2019t be swimming with whales \u2013 especially not with mothers and their calves. In a study he co-authored, researchers found that swimming with whales had a negative effect on the behaviour of mothers and calves in Tonga.<\/p>\n Dr Agn\u00e8s Benet, marine biologist and founder of the not-for-profit group Mata Tohora, has been campaigning for mandatory \u201cquiet periods\u201d during the day, without any boats or swimmers, to allow marine mammals to rest.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the second biggest sanctuary for marine mammals in the world, we might expect to have a period of time without human activity, to fulfil the original purpose of having a \u2018sanctuary,\u2019\u201d says Benet.<\/p>\n WildM\u0101\u2019s Poole wants tourists to be sold \u201cwhale watching\u201d experiences rather than whale swimming or diving. Getting in the water depends on the conditions being safe for the whales \u2013 and if that does happen it\u2019s \u201cthe cherry on the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n But experts and locals agree that whale-based tourism can be done ethically and respectfully.<\/p>\n Poole says that a portion of their earnings goes back into funding whale research and conservation, and supporting the local community.<\/p>\n He says when its done properly, whale tourism \u201cbrings so much light and love into the world, and to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2018Brings light into the world\u2019<\/h2>\n