Sydney Whale Walk – Whales Alive Joined With National Parks And Woollahra Council To Conduct A Public Education Day On The Cliff Tops Of Vaucluse –

May 12th, 2011

Make sure to check out our weblog for all the updated information on how last weekend’s training program went! We were even featured in the local Byron paper, The Echo.

Whales Alive and Cape Byron Marine Park conducted a specialised training workshop including classroom and on-water sessions for whale and dolphin watching operators and guides representing the five local dive, kayak and charter companies.

The training was delivered by Olive Andrews, Program Director of Whales Alive, who has 12 years experience delivering similar training workshops for governments and industry in Australia and throughout the Pacific and Caribbean Islands, and Dr Liz Hawkins, Leader of Southern Cross University’s Dolphin Ecology and Acoustics Project, which underpins the management and conservation of dolphins in the CBMP.

“As the 2011 whale season approaches, Whales Alive and Cape Byron Marine Park are working together to maximise public education about the natural history of whales and dolphins and minimise any potential impacts on the animals from tourism activities in The Bay” Ms Andrews said.

Cape Byron Marine Park Manager Andrew Page said “The workshop was run to encourage compliance in light of the growth of the marine mammal tourism industry on the North Coast, but also in response to requests from tourism operators for information about responsible whale watching”.

“We commend the local operators for showing leadership in the regulation of their own industry and advancing their knowledge of marine mammals. Byron is one of the better examples in the industry of whale watching operators working in collaboration with scientists and government agencies” said Ms Andrews.

“In other parts of Australia, tourism activities have been linked to decreased reproductive success of the animals so it’s important we comply with whale and dolphin watching regulations, which are designed to allow the animals space to conduct behaviours critical to their survival like feeding, breeding and resting” said Dr Hawkins.

Whales Alive will be partnering with Marine Parks again in June to offer a free public presentation about the biology and conservation of marine mammals to the Byron Bay public.