A day in the life of.......... A virtual whale watch guide

03/08/2012 11:44:17

Written by Sarah Jackson - A real virtual whale watch guide
Imagine going on a whale watching trip, then take the boat off the ocean and pop it into the comparative comfort of a school hall, wildlife festival or grassy field. This is virtual whale watching!

The whales, dolphins, turtles and sea birds are brought to the public. A trip begins with adults and children being trussed up in lifejackets and given a safety briefing by our knowledgeable Captain, before climbing aboard our boats. We may not be out at sea but there's no guarantee you won't get wet...

I make sure everyone knows what to look for - a blow, a splash, a dorsal fin - and soon there's kids screeching at the front that they've seen a whale. The identification guides on board help passengers figure out what species it is and the skipper and I shout information about things like diet and diving habits over the wind and engine noise. As virtual as those may be.

Why do I do this? After working as a real whale watch guide in New Zealand, the Azores and Mexico's Baja California, I've observed the impact of the moment when someone sees their first whale or dolphin and it's a moment I think everyone should have. It's a real privilege to be a part of. At Planet Whale, we firmly believe that experiencing the enormity of a blue whale, or the effortless grace of a bottlenose dolphin, or the explosive power of a sperm whale as it surfaces after a 2000m dive, reaffirms your innate connection with the natural world. In this way, we aim to bring the whale watching experience to the public to inspire a new audience to care about marine conservation.

Education is key to a decent whale watch trip so our virtual tours are crammed with facts. By the end it's not just the kids asking weird and wonderful questions but their parents too, when we examine blue whale faeces as the whale dives in front of us and later when we stop to pick up marine debris.

As a turtle swims by I point out how it might mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish and we discuss the impact of litter on the marine environment. One child on the boat declares he will always recycle from now on, and the others enthusiastically applaud his decision -this is the stuff I hope they remember.

As we start heading back to the harbour, someone spots dolphins riding at the bow so we all hang over the front to watch them as they seem to fly under the surface. There's nothing much like the effortless grace of a dolphin as it swims, something a human could never replicate in the water. Least of all with a leaky snorkel and mask.

We arrive safe and sound back in reality and the passengers disembark to tell onlookers about their sightings. I realise I don't need to help any seasick passengers onto the pontoon or hose down the boat. The benefits of virtual whale watching!

One of the best parts of guiding virtual whale watching trips is that I can show people exactly what to look for in a responsible tour, so that when they go for real they are safe in the knowledge that they are not having any negative impact on the animals. Anyone going whale or dolphin watching should make sure the boat operator cares about the marine environment, promotes education, respects the animals, and participates in research projects. Our guides are always prepared to offer advice, even about whale and dolphin hotspots within the UK that not many of our passengers are aware of!