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Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
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How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
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How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

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Southern Resident orca L92 missing as community returns to the Salish Sea

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All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Fundraising
  • Green Whale
  • Kids blogs
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
Whale evolution cover

How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
tins of whale meat

How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc magna elit, gravida at lectus vitae,...
sea_world_orlando_rob_lott

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque Following a three...

Endangered Southern Resident orca loses newborn calf

In heartbreaking news from the Pacific Northwest, the Center for Whale Research has reported that...
srkw_shoup_2003_text

U.S. Defense Bill weakens protections for whales

24 July 2018, Plymouth, MA: The FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act conference report was released...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...
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Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...
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One step closer to more salmon for endangered Southern Resident orcas

On June 28, 2018, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) filed “The Definite Plan” for...
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A NASA-funded study has warned that marine creatures like whales and dolphins will be exposed...
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Japan set to resume commercial whaling

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We are very sad to share news announced today by the Center for Whale Research...
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Frozen waste – missed opportunity to address deep concerns over Norway’s ‘snorkel-with-orcas’ tours

Beats me why anyone would want to snorkel in the deep, dark ice-cold waters off Northern Norway at this time of year. Even the prospect of encountering orcas - my all-time favourite whale or dolphin species - would not be enough to tempt me, even in a dry suit!  At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we have a long-standing policy of recommending that you don’t enter the water with whales and dolphins, for their safety and welfare, as well as yours. It strikes me that nowhere in the world is this advice more apt than these Arctic waters, where the sun barely rises for half the year.  

A snorkelling tour boat approaches an orca. © Steve Truluck.
A snorkelling tour boat approaches an orca. © Steve Truluck.

And yet, just a few seconds on Google throws up a dozen companies offering ‘snorkel with orcas’ tours alongside the whale watching and Northern Lights trips you’d expect to see on a holiday itinerary in the Arctic North.

So I’m giving a moderate whoop of joy at the news that the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate has finally issued whale watch regulations as this is certainly progress. Until now, Norway has lacked any formal regulations governing whale watching and snorkelling with whales.  Whilst the better operators have been observing the excellent local guidelines endorsed by Visit Tromsø which strongly discourage any in-water activities (snorkelling, swimming or diving) with whales, other operators have exploited the lack of legal sanctions and dropped people in the water with impunity.

A snorkeller with a pair of orcas © Rob Lott.
A snorkeller with a pair of orcas © Rob Lott.

It is important to note too, that outside the Tromsø region, guidelines relate solely to snorkelling with orcas and only in certain locations or times of year. They strongly discourage swimming, diving or free-diving with orcas or any other whale species, such as humpbacks: yet this advice is routinely ignored. Only last week, I saw social media posts of a diver with a humpback calf off Skjervøy, northeast of Tromsø.

But let’s hope that this free-for-all is coming to an end. Last spring, the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate declared its intention to put regulations in place and invited input from a number of stakeholders - including us - following what they described as a series of conflicts and potentially dangerous situations.

The problem is that orcas, the focal species for most snorkellers, are naturally attracted to fishing boats, in the hope of snatching herring from the nets. Snorkellers follow the orcas, but may find themselves dangerously close to the fishing boats. A spokesperson recently commented: ‘The Directorate of Fisheries, the coast guard and the fishing fleet have observed people swimming just metres from moving vessels. This poses a major risk to safety.’ There have been calls too, for any vessels putting people in the water to be clearly flagged, so that fishing boats and other vessels are aware of people in the water.

Last month, Rolf Harald Jensen, Director of the Maritime Service of the Northern Fisheries Directorate, blasted ‘dive with orca’ tours after further dangerous incidents around fishing boats, saying: ‘We have a clear strategy that we do not go in the water with these animals because of safety. There should be no people in the water. We believe it is not justifiable, and there are a number of countries that already follow such regulations… we are genuinely worried that things will go wrong. It also makes the work situation difficult for crews on fishing boats. They need to shift their focus away from what they are actually doing and spend energy watching people who cannot take care of their own safety. Ultimately, there is a danger to life.’

He cited a recent video taken by one of his inspectors, which shows the crew of a fishing vessel turning on the vessel’s powerful vacuum pump system. Fortunately, the inspector spotted two divers swimming in pitch black conditions, perilously close to the pump. His cries alerted crew members and the pump was turned off, but this was a close call for the divers.  Jensen commented: ‘The pump is designed to suck the catch into the boat, along with water and it operates under high pressure. What comes in the immediate vicinity will be sucked up - including a diver if they get too close. In this case, they were too close. They could have gone in the pump and risked perishing.’

It is good to see that whale watch boats are now legally required to remain at least 370m from fishing vessels or fixed fishing gear, with double that distance for people in the water. This will hopefully end those high-risk interactions around fishing boats, but the regulations are otherwise disappointingly brief and lacking in detail – they appear to be focussed on protecting fishing activities rather than providing comprehensive guidance to the whale watch and dive-with-orcas industry.

Getting into the water remains risky - many trips state that no experience is necessary yet, even in dry suits, the icy Arctic waters off Norway are dangerous. The combination of deep, dark or freezing waters and strong waves may soon tire an inexperienced swimmer or trigger a pre-existing medical condition.

A snorkeller in the ice-cold waters of Arctic Norway © Steve Truluck.
A snorkeller in the ice-cold waters of Arctic Norway © Steve Truluck.

Norway is a great place to go whale watching but having visited the region during the winter months, I can honestly recommend staying topside and enjoying the spectacular marine life from the comfort and safety of a boat!

 WDC says:

  • Last June, we worked with in-country experts to provide advice to the government consultation and urged the prompt enactment of official regulations. We are delighted that these are now in place, but the detail is disappointing and it’s clearly a missed opportunity. We need detailed guidance relating to vessel behaviour, and we need adequate monitoring and enforcement of the regulations.
  • We welcome the Norwegian government’s acknowledgement that there is a problem, but they need to do far more to address the dangers around dropping people into dark, Arctic waters alongside huge orcas and humpback whales.
  • We are actively participating in CMS (the Convention on Migratory Species, the body that works to protect species that cross national borders) and IWC (International Whaling Commission, the body that regulates whale hunting) Working Groups on marine mammal watching, including in-water activities.

 

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About Vanessa Williams-Grey

Policy manager - Stop Whaling and Responsible Whale Watching

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