Our recipe for high quality, sustainable whale watching!
We all share a common principle - that Planet Whale brings us together as the most powerful positive force for whales, dolphins and the people that share their lives with them. As Google once eloquently put it: “Give the proper tools to a group of people who like to make a difference, and they will.”
Planet Whale believes that together we can seek solutions to the issues that face whale watching and whale and dolphin conservation, and we can also help businesses and conservation organisations to be more successful and consumers more satisfied.
It’s a neat trick and we know how to pull it off! First, take a whale and dolphin watching website that everybody loves (that’s us!). Add a large dollop of whale watch operators, a comprehensive splash of conservation organisations and a sprinkled coating of friendly whale watchers. Mix thoroughly and warm until well combined.
This will taste sweet but there is still work to do! Next, introduce a rating system for whale watch operators based on a set of ethical criteria that will be discussed and agreed by everybody. That’s right; everybody will have the opportunity to discuss how whale and dolphin watching trips should be run in a way that is good for people and whales. That includes operators, conservation organisations, you and me, all having a good chat through the Planet Whale website.
Now, take the results of those discussions and add liberally to Planet Whale's newly formed rating system. Not only will users be encouraged to travel with the most ethical operators; whenever anybody searches for whale and dolphin trips, the most ethical operators will automatically appear first! Meanwhile, whale watch operators will finally have a clearly defined set of standards designed to increase bookings and enable direct comparisons with competing businesses.
Final result: delicious servings of high quality, sustainable whale watching and marine ecotourism for everybody.
It’s a simple plan based on a simple principle: We don’t control Planet Whale – you do! Of course our rating system can’t exist yet, because we haven’t asked you how it should work! To do so, we need some funding and support to help Planet Whale manage the process. The results, we hope, will change whale watching for the better and forever!
In the meantime, we still want you to comment on your whale and dolphin watching experiences by filling out a ‘User Review’ at the bottom of each operator’s listing page.
If you would like to support Planet Whale’s ratings project, please contact us
