Whale watching has become a controversial pastime. Erin Gless insists that it shouldn’t be that way.

Gless, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, is at the forefront of the region’s booming whale watching industry. The association represents 30 companies which depart from 24 locations in Washington state and British Columbia.

A report released earlier this year by consulting firm Martin Associates found that the overall economic impact of whale watching throughout the region is $216.9 million. In Washington state alone it’s $119.1 million. Overall, the regional industry supports almost 2,300 jobs and serves 400,000 guests annually. For nearly one-third of visitors, the primary purpose of a trip here is to participate in a whale watching tour.

Bigg’s killer whales swim close to shore.

Orion the humpback whale.

But the industry also faces challenges as it navigates conservation concerns and shifting regulations. Gless says many whale watch operators see themselves as stewards of marine conservation, and disputes the notion that whale watching boats disturb marine wildlife.

“A lot of our companies donate to salmon restoration, research organizations, wildlife rehab centers,” Gless says. “We don’t tell companies where to donate, but you need to be giving back somehow.”

Those donations take various forms, from direct financial contributions, a small conservation fee added to ticket prices, or offering customers the option to round up their purchase to support environmental causes.

“The company I used to work for did a round-up, like when you go to a grocery store and it asks if you want to round up to the nearest dollar,” Gless says. “They do different methods, but our folks are really, really good about giving back.”

That spirit of environmental conservation extends to daily operations as well. PWWA members track what they call “sentinel actions,” or proactive measures taken during whale watching trips to protect marine life.

“When we see trash, we’ll stop and pick it up. If we see a boat zooming toward a whale, we’ll flag them down to get them to stop,” she adds. “We keep track of those things to show that while we’re out here, we’re being really respectful and responsible.”

Last year alone, PWWA members logged more than 1,200 such sentinel actions. Those efforts help counter criticism from some environmental groups who argue that whale watching could be harmful to marine mammals.

The industry has faced increased scrutiny and regulation in recent years, particularly around endangered Southern Resident killer whales. New rules implemented in 2019 require whale watching boats to stay at least a half mile away from those whales. The challenges, Gless notes, centers around public perception and media coverage.

One media report, for example, stated that all whale watching boats have to stay a half mile away from all whales, which is not true. It applies only to that one endangered population. Inaccurate reporting can have real economic impacts as potential customers get the wrong impression about whale watching opportunities.

“People reading those headlines will hear that and be like, ‘Oh no, I’ll take my money elsewhere,'” Gless says. “That’s the stuff that hurts us the most.”

Looking ahead, the industry hopes to position the Pacific Northwest as a global leader in responsible whale watching practices. With no federal regulations on whale watching in most U.S. waters, the Seattle area’s precautionary approach could serve as a model for sustainable marine tourism.

“Right now, we’re at that crossroads,” Gless says. “We want to make sure that people are choosing to go whale watching in places that do it responsibly. And right now, that is us.”