Whale and dolphin watching is a major wildlife tourism industry with welfare implications for the animals encountered if not conducted according to evidence-based behavioral guidelines.
Cetacean watching welfare represents the tension between a wildlife tourism industry that funds conservation and one that can cause welfare harm to the very animals it celebrates. Research on Pacific Northwest orcas has documented reduced foraging efficiency in the presence of watching vessels, with cumulative effects that are particularly significant for fish-dependent populations already experiencing prey scarcity. The welfare impact depends critically on operator behavior - respectful operators following approach guidelines cause minimal impact while aggressive operators seeking close encounters cause repeated behavioral disruption. Since operators often cannot be distinguished by consumers booking trips, certification schemes and regulation are needed to create market differentiation based on welfare standards.