Monday, September 23, 2024 Tahiti, an iconic French Pacific Island renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and marine biodiversity, has become a popular destination for tourists seeking a unique experience: swimming alongside humpback whales. As one of the few places in the world where this activity is possible, Tahiti has attracted an increasing number of tourists eager to witness these majestic creatures up close. However, while this burgeoning whale-watching industry has generated significant revenue for the region, it has also raised alarms among environmentalists and marine biologists.
The growing number of tourists and boats has been linked to potential risks for the whales, especially as these species already face threats from climate change. Conservationists, including Agnes Benet, a biologist and founder of the Polynesian association Mata Tohora, which focuses on protecting marine mammals, have raised concerns about the impacts of increased whale-watching activity. Benet has emphasized the urgent need to manage and regulate the number of boats and swimmers that interact with the whales and dolphins in Tahiti’s waters.
According to Benet, the rapid growth of this tourism sector has led to an unsustainable situation, where human activity is beginning to interfere with the natural behaviors and health of the whales. Benet’s organization has been actively campaigning for stricter regulations, including the introduction of a “no whale-watching” period after 2:00 .