Impact of whale-watching on Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) in Patagonia: Assessing the effects from its beginnings in the context of population growth

Abstract

Historically, the distribution range of the southern right whale in Argentina was restricted to Península Valdés. During the last decades the population has been expanding its distribution range. The presence of whales in areas such as the San Antonio Bay has become so common, that in 2012 an experimental whale-watching program was settled. The objectives were to characterize the whale-watching activity and its potential effects on the colonizing groups. Data were collected on-board the whale-watching vessels between 2012 and 2016, and analysed using GLM. Whale-watching is growing in San Antonio Bay, and the interactions are focused on the less vulnerable groups. At longer distances, most of the whale reactions were neutral regardless of the maneuvers and the group type, while at closer distant passive manoeuvres elicit more approach reactions. The results of this study have significant implications for whale-watching regulations in this new area of distribution of the species.