Population: 150,630.

Land area: 616 sq km.

Tourist arrivals by air: 248,406 (+5.4% on prev. yr.)

Tourist arrivals by cruise ship: 310,263 (+71.9% on prev. yr.)

Total Tourist Expenditures: $283.7 million USD.

Tourism Budget: $5.5 million USD.

GDP at factor cost: $488.2 million USD.

1994 figures on whale watching: Nil.

1998 figures on whale watching: <100 people and $7,500 USD in total revenues.

Whale-watching ports (current or potential): Soufrière, Castries, Vieux Fort.

Land-based viewing sites: elevated locations between Castries and Gros Ilet,

including Pigeon Pointe; Anse Chastanet (near Soufrière); promontories around

Vieux Fort and from the Maria Islands.

Whale-watching potential: Outstanding.

St. Lucia achieved its independence within the British Commonwealth in 1979.

Even more than most other former Caribbean colonies, St. Lucia has a somewhat

schizophrenic cultural history, having changed hands 14 times between the French and

British. Most of the people are of African descent; the official language and government

traditions are English; but the culture is French creole.

St. Lucia is a mountainous, verdant island with volcanic peaks and lush, fertile

valleys. The magnificent centrepiece is some 19,000 acres (7,700 ha) of tropical rain forest

maintained in forest and nature reserves. To date, more than most other Eastern Caribbean

countries, St. Lucia has relied on agriculture as an economic mainstay. Unfortunately, that

agriculture was bananas which alone provided 70% of export earnings and employed 40%

of St. Lucia's people. With the World Trade Organisation demanding that EU quotas on

bananas must be lifted, St. Lucia's farmers will no longer be able to compete with the big

growers in Latin America. The writing has been on the wall for a few years and meantime

St. Lucia has worked hard to expand its tourism industry to fill the anticipated void.

Compared to many neighboring countries in the Caribbean, St. Lucia was slower to

promote itself and to try to attract more tourists. It has only been seriously involved with

tourism for fewer than 20 years, but now it is coming on strong, with numbers climbing

every year. The greatest asset of the country is its largely unspoilt nature setting: the

substantial tropical rain forest, the coral reefs and clear, clean Caribbean sea, and the

wildlife both on land and marine — all of which are proving more and more valuable as

they rapidly disappear in the rest of the world.

In terms of tourism infrastructure, St. Lucia offers numerous rustic, friendly

lodgings as well as low-key luxury hotels. The island has considerable cultural appeal,

with colonial French architecture, Native Indian artifacts, an excellent jazz festival, and the

Creole culture which makes for good restaurants and Carnival celebrations.

However, the negative side of the recent turn to tourism development is already

starting to show itself. The newer 'all-inclusive' resorts — holiday compounds — totalled

ten as of late 1998. These often British, American or Jamaican-owned operations bar non

residents and encourage visitors to use only their facilities, alienating islanders and

contributing little to the local economy. With the promotion of these sorts of resorts, and

other investments, tourism has been criticised for not bringing enough benefits to rural

residents.

Some have suggested that it is just growing pains, and that fine-tuning of tourism

industry directives will solve these and other problems. One part of the solution, begun in

1998, is the defining of a new tourism sector 'Nature Heritage Tourism'. Funded by the

European Union and the Government of St. Lucia, a three-year programme, called the St.

Lucia Heritage Tourism Programme, has been designed to offer various kinds of

economic, development and marketing assistance in order to promote nature/heritage

tourism in local communities. The expressed rationale is to ensure that the benefits from

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tourism are distributed more evenly throughout the island, especially to rural communities

while ensuring minimal impact on natural resources. The overall aim is to make St. Lucia

'the most diversified and sustainable tourism destination in the Caribbean'.

The recognition of the importance of maintaining nature as the backbone of this

new directive is vital. This recognition of the importance of maintaining marine resources

has contributed to the recent designation of some 23 modest-sized marine protected areas

all around the island, mostly centering on coral reefs and mangroves. The Soufrière

Marine Management Area, for example, which contains four different marine reserves, has

a balanced, comprehensive programme modelled on the biosphere reserve concept which

includes protection, management, and local education while allowing for some tourism

and fishing development.

Some of the reserves have populations of cetaceans as regular visitors, though

official recognition of cetaceans has been slow to come. There is no listing for whale

watching in the 98-page A4 colour glossy Visions St. Lucia 1998/99 Tourist Guide. In the

comprehensive 36-page St. Lucia Marine Guide 1998/99, there is not even a single

mention of a dolphin or whale, much less of 'whale watching'.

The most common cetaceans seen by boat year-round in St. Lucian waters are

various dolphins, especially spinner and pantropical spotted, sighted from inshore to 2-3

miles offshore (3-5 km) and short-finned pilot whales some 3-20 miles (5-32 km) from

shore. Sperm whales are also regularly seen off the northwest, west and southwest of the

island, as well as false killer whales. Occasionally, Bryde's whales, as well as humpback

whales (several 1999 sightings off the NE tip of the island), are seen in the period from

January to April. The regular hunting of pilot whales has occurred mainly (though not

entirely) on the southwestern and eastern coasts of St. Lucia (away from the main tourism

areas in the northwest); pilot whales and various dolphins have been landed regularly at

the following ports: Soufrière, Choiseul, Laborie, Vieux Fort, Micoud, Dennery, as well as

Castries, but most have been reported at Vieux Fort, at the southern tip of St. Lucia, in the

latter part of the year. Pilot whales can also be seen (and are sometimes caught) out of the

northwest and the peak period for sightings is November-December, though they have

been seen in every month, often travelling in pods of 20 to 100 animals. There are other

regular sightings and landings from hunts of rarer cetaceans, including dwarf and/or

pygmy sperm whales, and possibly goosebeaked and Antillean beaked whales. The

reported sightings have been off the Pitons on the west side of St. Lucia out of the port of

Soufrière, sometimes as close as a mile (1.6 km) from shore, especially during the months

of April through July.

According to St. Lucia's Chief Fisheries Officer, the best sites where cetaceans

occur commonly and in fairly large numbers are in Soufrière Bay, on the southwest coast

which has deep waters close to shore, and off northwest St. Lucia, from in the lee of the

island to the waters between St. Lucia and Martinique. The second locale is closest to the

main tourist area, although both are easily accessible on half-day boat trips. A third

location at Vieux Fort was not recommended, perhaps in part because it is a centre for

dolphin hunting and is away from the main tourist areas, although the Maria Islands, off

Vieux Fort, are a special attraction for nature lovers.

Land-based sighting opportunities largely take advantage of the above three areas

of cetacean concentration. Recommended are various spots along the west coast, in the lee

of the island, especially from slightly elevated locations in the northwest from Castries to

Gros Islet, including Pigeon Pointe. Also, at Anse Chastanet (near Soufrière), a number of

dolphin and large whale sightings were recorded by Randall Reeves. Headlands and

promontories around Vieux Fort and from the Maria Islands should also be investigated

for possible land-based whale and dolphin watching.

With tourists already coming for the diving and other marine activities, as well as

for the nature offerings on land, a substantial whale and dolphin watching industry would

seem to be a natural for St. Lucia. However, several problems have prevented the tours

from becoming popular to the extent that they have in, e.g., Dominica. One is that

fishermen still take cetaceans in some numbers around St. Lucia. There may be a slight

uneasiness with the ascendancy of whale watching in other parts of the world and whether

this might threaten the fishermen's cetacean-hunting income. It might be useful to measure

the potential benefits in a socioeconomic study, weighing the potential of whale and

dolphin tourism, and the value of nature to St. Lucia's image, vs. the value from hunting to

these families. There may also be some conservation implications to these hunts. Although

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scientists are aware of them (eg., Reeves 1988 and pers. comm.), the hunts are not

monitored and the IUCN status of the species hunted is insufficiently known.

In 1997, the St. Lucia Whale & Dolphin Watching Association (SLWDWA) was

formed to promote the development of high quality whale watching around St. Lucia. Two

'founder operators' signed up with founder-association secretary Jane Tipson, who set up

an office next door to her own tour company Toucan Travel, at Rodney Bay Marina in

Castries. SLWDWA set up a website, an environmental reference library at a local cafe,

and began working with international scientists and whale watch authorities to come up

with acceptable regulations for whale watching in St. Lucia.

Whale watching was soon listed as a regular offering in at least two of the major

Caribbean-wide guidebooks. In truth, whale watching has been poised to take off now for

2-3 years, with operators advertising whale watching and taking a few people out, but

regular popular tours only started in December 1998. Sunlink Tours, which offers a wide

variety of adventure tours on various boats, now lists whale and dolphin watching as one

of its featured tours, and after 3 months operation had 269 bookings at $70 US per person.

The trips include hydrophones to listen to the whales. As of March 1999, a second

company had begun offering the tours, taking about 30 visitors a week over the first two

months.

These numbers show that demand is there and that local operators are willing to

invest to meet that demand. It would not be surprising if several thousand people were

going whale watching from St. Lucia by the year 2000. Still, if whale watching is to

become successful and of enduring value in St. Lucia, there will need to be enforced

regulations, naturalist guides on the boats, and an education programme that helps ensure

the conservation of marine fauna.

SLWWDA has already taken the lead in promoting high quality whale watching

and in providing information and technical assistance. But much more clearly needs to be

done if whale watching is to develop into a valuable, enduring industry that will bring

economic, social and environmental benefits to the country.

With St. Lucia's endangered leatherback turtles (landing on the beaches from May

to August to lay their eggs when there are all-night 'turtle watches'), rare parrots (which

can be seen on a day hike through the rain forest), a frigate bird sanctuary and numerous

other birding opportunities, there is already a reason for nature tourists to visit. The St.

Lucia Heritage Tourism Programme could well help provide more focus toward the sea,

integrating whales and dolphins with existing marine protected areas and the diving/

yachting tourism sector. One community-based idea would be to establish

environmentally-friendly interpretation and visitor centres, signs and murals focusing on

whales and dolphins, situated at good lookouts or possible whale watch ports especially in

the northwest of the country. This would help put whales and whale watching on the map

for locals and tourists and it could help greatly enhance the nature tourism sector.

______________________________________________________________

These regulations are being made into law, though they have yet to be actively

enforced or practised (Carlson 1998).

Preamble

The sighting of whales has always aroused human curiosity and scientific interest.

Over the past decade whale watching has been developing into a world-wide industry and

has gained significant importance from the scientific and educational perspective as well

as that from commerce and the recreational areas. 1996 saw the initiation of whale

watching in many countries including St. Lucia, an activity expected to attract more

visitors to our shores and bring economic benefits to many local communities.

The popularity of whale watching and the world wide growth of the industry

raised questions about the extent to which whale watching effects whales. This has led to

the establishment of rules, regulations, and codes of conduct governing whale watching

activities in some countries. However, whale watching in itself must be regulated in a

manner consistent with the International Whaling Commission regulations in order to

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avoid any negative impacts on the populations inhabiting our waters. The Commission

recommends the whale watching activities are carried out in such a manner, so as not to

increase the risk or the ecological functioning of local populations, by changing population

dynamics or impeding normal patterns of habitat use or activity. Whale watching should

be conducted in such a way that it fosters positive, respectful interactions between whales

and whale watchers and does not result in an incrase in irritability or over stress to whales.

To date, there is almost no evidence of significant long-term impacts on cetaceans, but

while studies continue it is prudent to adopt a precautionary approach.

These regulations are also based on the provisions contained in international

treaties established for the protection of flora and fauna, such as the Biodiversity

Convention, and as such States party to these treaties must honor their national obligations

as required by these, it is thus incumbant on St. Lucia to put in place the necessary

guidelines for environmentally sound whale watching to ensure in the process that the

rights of fishers and priority users are respected.

These guidelines are established to regulate all activities related to the observation

of cetaceans, particularly in the area of science and recreation, and are developed in good

faith respecting also the rights of the public to conduct such activities for pleasure. The

Department of Fisheries intends to work closely with the St. Lucia Whale and Dolphin

Watching Association. It expects that Association to provide the forum for the training and

operational co-ordination of cetacean watching activities. As such membership of the

Association will be a pre-requisite for licensing.

In order then to ensure the sustainable utilization of these resources, the following

guidelines are provided:

1) Boat:

Boats used for marine mammal watching should have proper functioning engines

and rapid response steering. In addition, engines should be installed so as to provide

minimal noise and vibration.

2) Swimming:

No swimming with marine mammals is permitted.

3) Feeding:

Do not attempt to feed marine mammals, or throw food or garbage in the water

near marine mammals.

4) Approach Strategy:

i) Do not approach any fishing activity. However, if approached by a group of

fishermen while whale watching, the watching party gets priority.

ii) No filming or photo shooting of any fishing activity is permitted.

iii) Always maintain a good lookout at all times when in the vicinity of marine

mammals.

iv) Use extreme caution when approaching marine mammals.

v) Within four hundred metres (400 m) of the nearest mammal:

a) reduce noise to a minimum;

b) make no sudden changes in speed or direction (except in an

emergency);

c) do not reverse (except in an emergency);

d) travel at no more than two (2) knots faster than the slowest mammal at

an idle no wake speed.

vi) Do not approach a resting animal; keep a minimum distance of four hundred

metres (400 m).

vii) No more than two (2) vessels should attempt to watch a marine mammal or

group of marine mammals. Only one vessel is permitted to be in contact with mammals,

the other vessel has to maintain a distance of four hundred metres (400 m) from any

animal or group of animals, until the permitted watching time has elapsed. Radio contact

between the two vessels has to be maintained at all times. Approach and departure must

be carefully co-ordinated. Total watching time shall not exceed thirty (30) minutes.

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viii) Do not approach an animal head-on. Approach parallel to the animal or

slightly to the rear of the animal. Do not cause the animal to change direction.

ix) Keep a minimal distance of one hundred metres (100 m) from the closest

animal.

x) Do not box an animal or group of animals in, or cut off their path or prevent

them from leaving.

xi) Keep a minimum distance of two hundred metres (200 m) from a mother with a

calf.

xii) Do not separate or scatter a group of animals or come between a mother and

calf.

xiii) If an animal shows signs of disturbance, abandon contact immediately.

xiv) Do not approach a marine mammal or a group of mammals under sail.

5) Stopping:

i) When stopping to watch a marine mammal, place the engine in neutral or allow

motor to idle for a short period (approx. 1 minute) before stopping.

ii) If an animal approaches closer than one hundred metres (100 m), the vessel

should be stopped with the engine in neutral

iii) Do not chase an approaching animal.

iv) Be wary of any animal that appears tame.

v) Keep clear of flukes.

6) Departure:

i) Move off slowly at an idle no wake speed. Wait until boat is at least four

hundred metres (400 m) from nearest animal before increasing speed.

ii) If an animal dives, wait at least five (5) minutes before starting or engaging

engine.

7) Other:

i) No aircraft is to be used for marine mammal watching.

ii) The Department of Fisheries reserves the right to send a Fisheries Officer on any

marine mammal watching trip as an observer for research purposes.

iii) Commercial fishing and scientific research requires special permission from the

Chief Fisheries Officer.

iv) Copies of all data collected on whale watching trips must be submitted to the

Department of Fisheries.

______________________________________________________________

Acknowledgments: Jane Tipson (SLWDWA, Toucan Travel), Randall Reeves, Reeves

1988, Luntta 1998, Mark Carwardine, Samantha Barnard (Sunlink Tours), Keith E.

Nichols and Jeannine Compton (Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Forestry),

Brian Louisy (Exec. Director, The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry and

Agriculture), Ingrid Millar (St. Lucia Tourist Board), McNeill 1997, Allsop and Charles

1998, McDaniel 1999, Klinowska 1991, CTO 1997.