Icy Strait Point, near Hoonah, shore, cannery museum, dock and whale watch boat, summer, Chichagof Island, Alaska, United States of America, North America

Tourists watch an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), during a Whale-Watching trip, Azores, Atlantic Ocean

Tourists watch an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), during a Whale-Watching trip, Azores, Atlantic Ocean

Whale-watch vessel, "Alpha Beta". Sea Life surveys were the first organisation to understand the potential for whale-watching in the West of Scotland. Hebrides, Scotland

Whale Watch on a blustery day. Azores, North Atlantic

Disentangling juvenile gannet (Sula sula). Marine debris, possibly discarded fishing gear, made it impossible for this gannet to feed. Crew and clients on whale-watch boat come to its aid. Gannet released successfully. Hebrides, Scotland

Disentangling juvenile gannet (Sula sula). Marine debris, possibly discarded fishing gear, made it impossible for this gannet to feed. Crew and clients on whale-watch boat come to its aid. Gannet released successfully. Hebrides, Scotland

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) with eco-tourists on whale watch vessel MV Wheketere. Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.

The commercial whale watching vessel "Orca Odyssey", based in Juneau, Southeast Alaska, USA. In the summer of 2006 this vessel struck a humpback whale while on a commercial whale watch.

Short finned pilot whale (globicephala macrorhynchus). A passing yacht stops to watch a group of pilot whales. Eastern Caribbean

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Tourists watch the sedate progress of a blue whale as it circles their boat, the animal is feeding. Gulf of California.

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) fluking with Whale Watching boat in the background. Monterey, California, Pacific Ocean.

Whale watching, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina