Dossier 1/3 – “Whale Watching”: When whaling tourism helps science

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Shot of a whale taken during an outing. Photo archives © Michel Vély, Mégaptera

As every year, Saint-Martin sees humpback whales arriving in its waters to reproduce. The opportunity for “whale watchers” to offer sea trips to observe these marine mammals. Between ecotourism and participatory science, “whale watching” improves the knowledge available on cetaceans. Therefore, the transmission of this knowledge to the population becomes a major challenge. This Sunday, the giants of the seas will be celebrated during the Whale Festival in Orient Bay.