Whale Expeditions Ethics
Ethics in Regards to Wildlife
The welfare of the animals we encounter comes first and foremost. All of our decisions are made with this in mind. We use only expert guides and trip leaders, that have studied animal behavior for years to ensure that at the first sign of discomfort from the animal, we back off. We never ever use bait, of any kind to attract any animal. We don't make noise to get the animal to look in our direction. We believe that if we act in the least obtrusive way possible, we will not only ensure the safety of the wildlife, but we will also observe the most natural behavior of the whales.
Ethics in Regards to Trip Leaders and Guides
Each of our trip leaders cares deeply about ethics in wildlife photography. Some of our trip leaders even sit on ethics committees for wildlife photography organizations, including for iLCP (International League of Conservation Photographers). Ethics are a major pillar in the thought process for each of our trip leaders. Their same views are shared by our local guides. This is another conscious decision we have made at Whale Expeditions. Each tour is co-led by a local, on the ground guide, who knows the area and animals better than anyone else ever could. We continuously seek to hire women guides and minorities.
Ethics in Regards to our Accommodations
To select our lodging we go through the pain staking process of researching all of the available lodging in the area. We then rate that lodging based on services, local or family ownership, operations sustainability practices, construction sustainability, and staff hiring practices.
Ethics in Regards to our Conservation Actions
One of the main reasons why Whale Expeditions was started, was to aid in the conservation of whales through ecotourism. Anywhere between 10-18% of each tour cost is given as a donation to a well researched conservation organization that works on protecting the whales and dolphins in the area. Ecotourism can be a powerful conservation tool, especially when it financially aids cash-strapped NGOs in the area.