To Educate or not to Educate: How the Lack of Education Programs on Whale-Watching Vessels Can Impact Whale Conservation and Tourism in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Whales are watched in over 119 countries and territories earning $2.1 billion in revenue, with large growth seen in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has the largest whale-watching industry in the Caribbean. Although the industry thrives in the Dominican Republic, on-board education programs are lacking. Currently in Samaná Bay, only one of approximately 45 vessels offers a formal education program. In an effort to increase education and better tailor current education programs, a survey-based study was conducted to assess the conservation knowledge of whale-watching tourists. Only 5% of tourists considered themselves to be "very knowledgeable" about whales. Those who had been whale watching before were more likely to consider themselves as knowledgeable, whereas those who had not been whale watching were more likely to consider themselves less knowledgeable. Public education on whale conservation was ranked very or moderately important by over 80% of respondents. However, 29% of tourists did not know Samaná Bay was a protected area. To improve tourist's knowledge and conservation awareness, it is recommended a multilingual education program be created on all whale-watching vessels and that these programs have more conservationbased knowledge within them.