Whale watching and the tourism it brings, presents an economic opportunity for many communities around the world.

Through its Scientific and Conservation Committees, the IWC is studying the potential impact of whale watching on individual whales, their populations and their habitats; it has developed principles and guidelines for whale watching; and it has produced a Strategic Plan for Whale Watching to support the development of a sustainable, responsible whale watching industry. One of the primary methods for achieving the objectives of the Whale Watching Strategic Plan is the development of a web-based, living Handbook on Whale Watching. The Handbook will support whale watching operators, national and regional regulators, and the general public, to ensure whale watching is sustainable now, and as it develops into the future.

The Whale Watching Handbook will be an online, interactive tool to support sustainable management of whale watching. Policy makers, regulators, industry and the public will be able to search for and retrieve relevant information based on their management question, species or country of interest. The Handbook will feature interactive maps of whale watching around the world and information on the species that can be viewed. It will also include up-to-date information on the sustainable management of whale and dolphin species and a range of case studies to support decision making.

The Handbook will be available in English, French and Spanish.