A 40-ton humpback whale breaches the ocean, causing a water crash and two walls of splash; a mother and her calf emerge to the surface of the water as they walk calmly. In Reunion, Whale season offers a natural spectacle that delights residents and tourists on the island.
Every year, between May and October, cetaceans travel along the island’s coast from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, to mate or for the females to give birth in shallow places. Whale watching from a boat or with swimming boats has become a booming business. Despite prefectural regulations aimed at a respectful approach, local scientists warn of this increasing tourist pressure and its compatibility with animal welfare.
“We have gone from a few operators ten or fifteen years ago to about eighty today.describes Jean-Marc Gancille, spokesperson for the Globice association, founded in 2001 to better understand and protect cetaceans in Reunion. Whaling from a tourist perspective is becoming more and more intense. There is a wait, an impatience on the part of the clientele, increasingly demanding, with the promise of the most beautiful images and the most beautiful jumps amplified by social networks. »
The rule that allows five boats to be present within a 300-metre zone around the animal is generally respected. But scientists are concerned about the rotation of boats that occur throughout the day. “In 2023, with a record number of whales [1 156 recensées par Globice]There were animals for everyone., “This is the case of Audrey Cartraud, project manager for the Quietude team, which is working to promote respectful observation of cetaceans at the Centre for the Study and Discovery of Sea Turtles.” In 2024, there will be approximately three times less [le nombre d’animaux varie naturellement d’une année à l’autre sans que les scientifiques puissent l’expliquer]But with so many ships still in existence. Or even more. This poses a problem. The current situation is no longer sustainable. »
“Behavioral changes”
Especially since it has become common to take swimmers equipped with snorkelling fins and wetsuits into the water. A practice authorised and supervised in Reunion, with access times and rules, while it is prohibited in many other places in the world for whale watching. This is always a cause for concern for foreign scientists.
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