(19.4.2011)
16 whale-watching boats from Madagascar have joined the Blue Flag for Whale-watching Boats.
On the eastern coast of Madagascar, 222 km2 of coast belongs to Ste Marie Island. Apart from its great pirate stories, this island is known because more than 10 years ago it started to develop its economy based on whale watching activities. Now locals are sure that their island attracts visitors from all around the world thanks to the humpback whale season, from June to September.
In 2009, “CetaMada”, a non-profit organisation founded in Madagascar, followed up the research programme on these whales. More than 12 hotels in Ste Marie have joined the initiative for responsible whale watching and promotion of conservation activities towards marine mammals in Madagascar. Each hotel agreed that their vessels would become a platform to collect scientific data and to promote awareness among tourists, local schools and any kind of public.
The data obtained from these boats are widely used in scientific research to study the diversity of marine mammals, abundance, species distribution, behavioural patterns, and many others. A total of 11 species have been reported from CetaMada observations. These species include two species of baleen whales or baleen, humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and right whales (Eubalaena australis), eight species of odontocetes or toothed whales: the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp), Stenella (Stenella sp), Pseudorque (Pseudorca crassidens), Mesoplodon (Mesoplodon sp) Mesoplodon Longman (Indopacetus pacificus), dolphin of Electra (Peponocephala electra) Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), species of Delphinidae, finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhyncus). The results of aerial surveys have revealed a possible observation of dugong (Dugong dugong).
The group of partners have been able to put up the logistics to lodge and facilitate all equipment necessary every season for 15 to 25 trained volunteers. A photo identification database is available on line (free access), which can allow students, tourists or scientific institutes, to identify humpback whales thanks to pictures taken of their flukes. Furthermore, a similar database is on the way for sound files (whale’s songs) thanks to CetaMada’s last 4 years of bioacoustics studies in cooperation with the acoustics departments from the University of Paris (France) and the University of South Hampton (UK).
The idea was born in Ste Marie. Nevertheless, it has now expanded to the big island of Madagascar, in areas such as Ifaty, Toliara, Salary Bay, Nosy Be, Maroantsetra, Fort Douphin, among the main ones. Thanks to the continuous work of CetaMada now more partners can join the team for sustainable whale watching practices around the coast of Madagascar. Such display of observation platforms (boats) fully equipped (with research and safety material), monitored daily during the whole season by volunteers and centred in a unique database wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
“The Blue Flag that our boats received for this 2011 season shows that we are thorough with the work we do. We would like many boat operators to follow this example and practice the best protocols for marine mammal observation. CetaMada is also looking forward to start the National Marine Mammals Stranding Network in 2011 and to keep the social and environmental initiatives in the upcoming years, including the divulgation of the marine mammals approach guidelines, also found in our website” says CetaMada.
More information: www.cetamada.org
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-governmen, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education.
FEE is an international umbrella organisation with one national member organisation per country representing FEE on the national level and in charge of implementing FEE programmes nationally. FEE currently has 74 member organisations in 64 countries worldwide.
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