Whale and Dolphin Watching Course
What you'll learn
- Have a good knowledge and understanding of the Coastal and Marine environments
- Understanding of climate, weather and oceans, and inter-relatiuonships with marine species
- Knowledge and Understanding of Ecosystems, Habitats and Marine Food Webs
- Good Knowledge and Understanding of all Cetaceans, types, nomenclature, taxonomy and behaviours
- Clear knowledge and understanding of Marine Tourism principles
- Understanding and familiarity with marine legislation and Best Practices with regard to cetaceans
- Knowledge, understanding and comittment to the Conservation of species
- Prepare, conduct and conclude a whale or dolphin watching experience while providing tourists with accurate and interesting information
Requirements
- No experience necessary. other than a keen interest in the oceans, and marine creatures.
- Access to a suitable tourism vessel would be an advantage.
- Strong affinity to the oceans and coasts, and interest in the environment.
- Basic understanding of the English language
Description
This course is about taking tourists out on a whale or dolphin watching excursion.
There is a growing interest in being able to experience being close-up to and viewing these gentle giants of the sea. They are majestic, non-aggressive and awe-inspiring and mark one of the last frontiers of experience on our planet.
They are also threatened and endangered and need carful protection. Thus most countries of the world have laws and regulations as to what is allowed and no allowed.
If you have a passion for the sea, enjoy marine creatures and are also involved in a commercial whale or dolphin watching business, this course is a must. I try to give an over-sight as to what is important, and what is correct in order to conserve the marine environment, protect the species and to also give tourists an awesome as well as a learning experience.
The course is not only about absorbing facts and knowledge - I try to impart some broad knowledge and, especially a better understanding of the environment in which you will be working - in other words the entire planet! Cetaceans are not limited to specific areas, and freely roam the oceans looking for food, habitats and places to socialize and reproduce.
They are highly intelligent and harmless creatures that are becoming more important to us again, after we spent numerous past decades exploiting them. Watch each lecture several times to get a feel for the subject matter, so that you may manipulate it to apply for your particular area of operation. Every whale and dolphin watching excursion, as well as each area of operation is different, and there is strictly no right or wrong way to do things.
Who this course is for:
- Whale or Dolphin Watching Operators in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry whether or not operating under authority of a Permit.
- Boat Owners and Crew, including skipper, deckhands and guides
- Marine Tour Guides
- Persons interested in marine creatures and the marine environments.
- Anyone interested in working in the marine and coastal tourism industry.
- Researchers and their assistants
Instructor
- 4.0 Instructor Rating
- 2 Reviews
- 17 Students
- 3 Courses
Qualifications: BA(Hons) Geology & Zoology; HDip(Eng) - Welding Engineering; MBA. Qualified Tourist Guide, Competency Assessor and
I have been in the Whale and Dolphin Watching industry for many years, owning and operating 8 tourist vessels in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. I was instrumental in the 1990's in helping Marine & Coastal Management draft policies, rules and regulations to develop, start, monitor and control the boat-based whale and dolphin industry, a lot of which was adopted by other countries of the world.
I have been involved in training for the past 40 years, both as a hobby as well as a career. I enjoy designing, developing and delivering training, most of it now being short on-line courses.
My main passion is the sea and the conservation of the creatures living in it, and in doing so have travelled the world quite extensively. It is a difficult subject to teach, as there needs to be an underlying passion and empathy with the ocean and it's creatures. I still do a lot of boating, scuba diving, videoing and assist where possible with conservation of our planet.