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What is and how is born the whale watching
Since
some years
in America has become very diffuse the whale-watching, the observation of the whales
its a sort of naturalistic tourism, having the
purpose to allow anyone to know the beauty, and the importance of the
marine ecosystem in general, and of the cetaceans in particular. It's the modern answer to the
massacres perpetrated in the last centuries, and unfortunately in part still nowadays, from the hunters of whales, that have
carried, in many cases, on the hem of the extinction much species of cetaceans.
So in this case the money that can be earned from
these splendid animals does not derive from their killing, but simply
from their observation. Still more important is the didactic
function and of formation of a social enviromentalist conscience, to
which we can only arrive with the acquaintance, best if from
the alive observation.
Ideal conditions for easier sights
The optimal
environmental conditions for the sight of cetaceans are the following; it
is necessary to have a calm sea or little moved
(inferior force 4 - Douglas scale -), with wind absence (inferior
force 5 - scale Beaufort -) and of long-wave, will be in fact more simple to notice an unusual movement on a flat surface for being
able to focus the attention on every successive signal; with optimal
conditions it will be succeeded to notice the line of the fins of the
large cetaceans, or their jump or finally their unmistakable breath also
to several hundreds of meters of distance; without those conditions the sight
probabilities diminish drastically. With the best environmental
conditions the observer will find itself in the center of a
theoretical circle of observation with a beam of approximately 6
kilometers.
Techniques of sight
-
Not to fix a point in particular,
but to get accustomed to scan the horizon rhythmically.
- If in company is useful to subdivide with
the companions the arc of the horizon (giving a part
to everyone).
- If possible is
useful to go up on the boat in order to widen just the horizon of observation
- You have to know what you expect to see (a tail, a fin, a back or a jump).
-
You have to learn to distinguish
objects appearing and vanishing but in the same point and
maintaining the same shape (it can be buoys also to the
drift), from the typical beacons of a cetacean that normally vanish in order then to reappear in a
different point continuously modifying
the own dimensions and shape
-
You have to know to characterize the beacons
pointers of the presence of the cetaceans as the presence of marine birds concentrated in a point (often the
cetaceans assemble in a point, in
order then eat them, branches of fish and to the banquet also the birds
participate).
-
Do not still use the binoculars, initially in
fact to eyes covers a visual angle much greater, it will go used only after the sight of
something
interesting.
-
It will be useful, once a cetaceo will be characterized immersosi,
to imagine where a cetacean plunged will re-emerge, but the variables are many,
from the size of the animal to its species to the type of activity
that these is completing.
Rules for the observation
After to have
sighted the cetaceans and respected all the cautions for the approach to them (useful above all for who
make observations "self-made") is necessary to follow the following norms for
a correct observation:
-
make the observation for not more than 15 minutes
-
do not scream, strike the water or emit strong
noises (hiss, slap of hands)
-
do not to throw food
-
do not to plunge with the cetaceans, do not swim with them if not for valid
scientific reasons
-
do not touch them
Techniques
of acknowledgment
Now
is opportune to decide
if we want to be limited to an amusing but only behold observation, or as we advise
we want to be given a didactic cut the
same one. In this case it will be useful and amusing to recognize the
species of cetaceans sighted, through the observation of the peculiar
characteristics of everyone of them (we advise to such purpose to
print and to carry with you our comfortable and short card for the
sight and for the acknowledgment that will guide you to a easier
sights).
It will be necessary to focus the attention on 5
fundamental characteristics in such way from beeing able to quickly verifying
them on the sight card.
1°
Dimensions: not always easy to calculate, but should be useful some
expedients; you can compare the dimension of the cetacean with the boat
one; you have to know that often the length of the emerged part of the
cetacean is
inferior to the half of its total length; in case of group of cetaceans you
have to measure the adults.
2° dorsal
Fin: you have to observe the shape, the position on the body of the
cetacean, the dimensions well.
3° Breath: also in this case you will have to observe the shape,
position and dimensions.
4°
Head: you have to observe shape, presence or less
of the rostrum and his form if present.
5°
Color: without beeing tricked from the glares of the sun, will be necessary to observe the
coloration of the back, the fins and the body and the eventual presence of signs
and shadings.
Collecting
info Print some copy of our
published card of sight compile them (possibly endured after the sight, in order to avoid
forgetfulnesses or memories mistaken) and send us equipped if
possible with photographies or video (we will be forming our archives and we will send to the search institutes the scientific
material received). On these will be fundamental to
annotate position, date and hour of the sight, number and
species of
met mammals because the agencies for the study of the cetaceans of the Mediterranean has a strong interest to collect how many
more possible information about those animals for their safeguard, and
that will be possible also thanks to your aid. In the case in
which you enclose to the card photographies or video it is fundamental
that these refer to the sight annotated on the same card, will be
useful therefore to annotate every reference in order to avoid
confusion. Every card refers to a single sight (of one or more animals)
but in the case in which the sight comprises more species will be
well to compile more cards.
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