Having a whale of a time in Oman

They are a huge tourist draw but that is no reason to feel happy. The day of real joy will be when the cetaceans are no longer under threat from man, says environmental biologist Robert Baldwin of the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group.

Robert Baldwin still remembers the exciting encounter he and his team had with a member of one of
the largest species of mammals in the world.

"Our boat was just over 24 feet in length, less than a third of the size of a really big whale, like the rare blue whale,'' says the environmental biologist and leader of the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group (OWDRG).

"On one occasion, near the Hallaniyat Islands off Dhofar, we drifted alongside a blue whale for over an hour.

The whale often came within touching distance of the boat. It was truly awe-inspiring to be close to such a magnificent animal.

And [the experience] was a pertinent reminder of one's humility," he says.

Marine creatures have almost always been a source of fascination for humans. Think Moby-Dick, Free Willy, Flipper, even the shark from Jaws ...

If it's not their sheer size, it's their awe-inspiring, almost unbelievable antics in water that have us glued to the TV or hesitantly inching closer to the gigantic enclosures in aquariums.

For adventure tourists aboard cruise ships, whale-watching or dolphin spotting is the reason they are willing to spend top dollar.

Just being able to see them up close and personal is to witness a wonder of nature that ends up as pixel-filled image in your electronic doodah or as a vibrant memory in your organic mind.

But what if staying close to them is your job? A lifetime's dream come true? How do you then see the tourist issue? As possibly being potentially harmful to cetaceans, say experts.

Robert Baldwin, who has been involved in ethological cetacean studies for nearly two decades, leads the field and laboratory research on whales and dolphins in Oman under The Whale and Dolphin Research Programme.

He has also written several books on marine life, including three on whales and dolphins: Whales and Dolphins of Arabia, Whales and Dolphins of the United Arab Emirates and Whales and Dolphins along the Coast of Oman.

In his view, rampant tourism involving sightings of cetaceans has its problems. "They [whales and dolphins] may be struck by boats, including tourist boats. Perhaps, the greatest impact [from boats] comes from
noise,'' says Baldwin.

"Cetaceans, especially the toothed whales and dolphins or odontocetes, rely on sound as their principal sense. Noise from boats can disturb and interfere with vital navigational and feeding behaviours.

"Local tour operators are encouraged to promote responsible whale and dolphin-watching activities by following the approach rule that ensures that boats travel at slow, constant speeds (below 13 knots) and keep a good distance (at least 300 metres) from the creatures.

"Noise and the mere presence of boats, especially those that approach them closely, and repeatedly, can disturb cetaceans to the point that they eventually vacate the area or suffer ill-effects.

"Habitat degradation and entanglement due to marine debris, fishing and aquaculture equipment are just some of the key threats to cetaceans due to human activities," he says.

Cetacean life is protected by international laws, but individual countries also carry out their own conservation efforts. In Oman, rescue operations are relatively infrequent and occur roughly once a year.

Most rescue efforts have involved humpback whales entangled in nets in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

In such instances, rescue operations would require a multi-agency collaborative process employing resources in the form of vessels, aircraft, veterinary expertise and communication between fishermen and other maritime users.

"Sometimes these [rescue
efforts] have lasted for an entire day; others have been quicker depending on circumstances and the support available.

"One rescue [operation], near Azaibah, lasted little more than an hour whereas another operation went on for 28 days; [the latter involved] an entangled whale.

It was reported and freed in Duqm a few years ago," says Baldwin.

The research programme
The Group, part of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), is involved
in scientific research to understand cetacean habitat, gain comprehensive understanding of the distribution and ecology and help conservation efforts.

It maintains a database of Oman's cetacean sightings and strandings. (The database includes more than 1,600 reports dating to the '70s.)

The Group also works towards establishing a more effective network of communication to facilitate fast and effective sightings of marine mammals in distress.

"We use this data to generate maps and charts of sightings to understand distribution, migration and other behavioural models.

After research, it is then necessary to disseminate this knowledge to the public and policy/decision-makers, usually government bodies, to ensure that the information is used to help conservation efforts," says Baldwin, who is also a member of the Cetacean Specialist Group (CSG), part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and The Indian Ocean Research and Conservation Association (IORCA).

Quite like any marine biologist, he prefers to be in the field as much
as possible. "For every day spent in the field, there is normally at least 4-5 days worth of analysis and report writing to be undertaken subsequently," he says.

Baldwin has been involved in the study of dolphins since 1988 when he first encountered wild dolphins off the remote coast of Southern Oman.

Oman's whales and dolphins

There are approximately 20 species of cetaceans in Oman. Most species including the bottlenose and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins can be seen close to shore around Muscat and in Dhofar.

Baldwin says, "Even species usually considered migrant, like the humpback whale, reside in the region due to the presence of a continuous source of food fuelled by the Khareef or the summer monsoon."

Very often, there are conflicts between environmental protection and the needs of development, says Baldwin.

"Sometimes these conflicts are not identified by either party early enough to mitigate. There are methods to reduce environmental impact due to coastal development.

"Still, community involvement is very essential, especially in eco-tourism practices. The Group also collects information of value to eco-tourism and hopes for further development.

Advancing studies

Apart from raising general public awareness, the Whale and Dolphin Research Programme has engaged Omani researchers and students (including PhD students) in extensive and advanced marine life training.

"The programme has collaborated with both Omani and foreign students from various universities, including Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.

"Our current PhD student is focusing on genetica and other aspects of bottlenose dolphins. Previous PhD student studies concentrated on spinner and common dolphins and the famous Omani humpback whales, which are now known to be among the most endangered," says Baldwin.

Conservation efforts

Habitat protection or the maintenance of ideal ecological balance is a labour-intensive job that requires dedication, and one where the results or rewards are not immediately visible.

A balanced cetacean habitat is one that is least influenced by human activities and wastes. "It is ultimately the remit of government and landowners.

The Group collects information that is of use to such third parties and provides reasoning and encouragement for implementation of protection measures. "Factors that affect it [cetacean habitat] can be both natural and human-induced.

One of the obvious factors is the supply of food. Cetaceans rely on an abundant and healthy supply of prey, and
over-fishing affects this supply.

Other factors are more insidious such as pollution, where cetaceans may be directly affected by pollutants or contaminants or the ingestion of an infected prey.

"This may lead to health effects known as sub-lethal, compromising reproductive rates," he says.

With more people realising the import of protecting marine creatures, experts like Baldwin hope that people will view these beautiful but threatened species with more respect.

Does dolphin-assisted therapy work?

Robert Baldwin, nvironmental biologist and leader of the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group (OWDRG),
says he has little knowledge or experience of how dolphins are used for therapy, but has read arguments against dolphin-assisted therapy.

"These [arguments] suggest that it can be exploitative both for dolphins and people. Families may pay large amounts of money for the therapy and dolphins may be captured from the wild and held in captivity to take part in the therapy.

As with all arguments related to dolphins in captivity, I tend to avoid the subject, as it is emotive and time-consuming.

"I prefer to spend my time working towards protection of wild dolphins from far more serious threats, such as fisheries, pollution, habitat destruction and many others."

According to him, the awe-inspiring and enjoyable experience is sure to leave one feeling good, but isn't sure whether it can be called therapy.

"Dolphins don't seem to share the fascination that we have for them. They can be curious when swimmers enter the water with them, but usually not for long.

"Swimming with dolphins is also potentially risky. They
are very strong animals capable of inflicting injury on each other and on people, either deliberately or by accident.

"The enjoyment would soon be lost if there was any injury involved," he says.

the ford grants
Last year, the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) was the recipient of the Ford Motor Company's Conservation and Environmental Grants.

The ESO was granted $12,000 to continue its field and laboratory research on the Whale and Dolphin Research Programme in Oman.

The funds are used to cover all aspects of the work from maintenance and servicing of boats to detailed DNA analysis of collected tissue samples from whales and dolphins. Each year, as the programme develops and expands, costs and rewards rise proportionately.

"The annual funding requirements are substantial and without the support of grants like the one provided by Ford, the group would currently not be able to operate effectively," says Baldwin.

The Ford Motor Company's Conservation and Environmental Grants is one of the largest corporate initiatives, covering more than 50 countries.

The objective is to provide financial support to ongoing projects in the areas of environmental protection, education and conservation engineering.

In the last 25 years, the Grants have involved more than 120,000 people and organisations. In the GCC
and Levant, a total of $600,000 has been granted since 2000.

For more information on the Grants, visit www.ford-environmentalgrants.com