The AWdF has worked with the whale watching industry in Tenerife for some thirty years. They, the industry, have provided a truly great experience for many tens of thousands of young volunteers from all over the world, many thousands of whom have gone on to careers in education, conservation and research. This is something the whale watching industry in Tenerife should be truly proud of.
2023 is a new beginning for the world. Coming out of the pandemic there is an energy to forge a better world, one in which we, collectively, strive to look after our environment and our nature. Eco tourism, and particularly whale watching, is the key platform for harnessing this energy. With one million European tourists visiting the whales every year, the industry in Tenerife can become a Global Voice in this effort.
As a global charity the AWdF wants to work with the industry to help in this process. What we bring to the table are hundreds of motivated, passionate and energetic young people, the generation charged with saving our planet. We will work with them to help achieve Tenerife as a case study in best practice, a Centre of Excellence in Ethical Whale Watching.
2023 is a new beginning for the world. Coming out of the pandemic there is an energy to forge a better world, one in which we, collectively, strive to look after our environment and our nature. Eco tourism, and particularly whale watching, is the key platform for harnessing this energy. With one million European tourists visiting the whales every year, the industry in Tenerife can become a Global Voice in this effort.
As a global charity the AWdF wants to work with the industry to help in this process. What we bring to the table are hundreds of motivated, passionate and energetic young people, the generation charged with saving our planet. We will work with them to help achieve Tenerife as a case study in best practice, a Centre of Excellence in Ethical Whale Watching.
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What is Ethical Whale Watching:
ESSENTIAL PRE REQUISITE
* Absolute respect to nature. The laws need enforcing!
NECESSARY PRE REQUISITE
* Creating valuable work for local people. The remnants of Tenerife’s fishing industry work on the whale watching boats!
* Supporting the local economy
* Providing a quality eco-tourism experience to tourists
* Compliant with international standards ISO
OPTIMAL QUALITIES. BECOMING A GLOBAL VOICE
* Facilitating invaluable work experience. The industry has facilitated the volunteer programme for young people from across the world
for over 30 years! 10,000s of young people!
* Raising awareness of conservation issues with tourists. For 2023 the AWdF focus on the boats is Climate Change and Plastic Pollution
* Promoting/ facilitating tourist action AWdF volunteers are charged with inspiring tourists to go home to ‘make a difference’
* Supporting and funding conservation work AOCN. The AWdF co-ordinates the Atlantic Ocean Cetacean Network (AOCN), a network of 400 cetacean organisations across the Atlantic Oceans, through which it can support and fund cetacean work. Many of Tenerife’s boat owners have agreed to help facilitate fundraising on their boats in direct support of some of these projects. Tenerife’s industry can be the driving force behind cetacean conservation across the Atlantic Oceans.
* Facilitating research Volunteers with the AWdF have been able to build a photographic database of Short Finned Pilot Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins and Migratory species over thirty years by the whale watching industry. The data shows individual cetaceans in family units with social roles, personality and character. Many thousands of students have used these data for academic work, from school projects to PhDs. Additionally, the AWdF uses the data to produce didactic materials for use on the whale watching boats with the tourists.
* Education & Training The AWdF has produced world class training materials to help train its volunteers when on the whale watching boats. It is a preferred partner to the world’s premier educational resource provider (TES) and has produced educational resources used by tens of
thousands of teachers.
What the AWdF can bring to the table:
* Product development Particularly in regards to educational whale watching
* Media: Websites, TV channels, Blogs
www.whalesanddolphinsoftenerife.org
www.fairearth-tenerife.org
TV channel Whales & Dolphins
* Educational Groups
* Video content, Social Media- Trip Advisor etc
* Staff training We can bring in experts to give talks and share experiences. We can also send ‘local’ experts to give talks elsewhere.
* Talks, Conferences, Speakers
* Events AWdF volunteers attend travel shows, sustainability, nature/ conservation events, research meetings, volunteering events, - Eg. ECS (European Cetacean Society) World Travel Market, Vakenboer, Berlin ITB. The AWdF give talks across Europe to educational groups.
In Tenerife, the AWdF organised -
International Dolphin Spring Festival
European Cetacean Festival
EarthDay etc
* AOCN (Atlantic Ocean Cetacean Network) Making Tenerife’s whale watching industry the heart of cetacean conservation, research and education across the Atlantic Oceans.
* Merchandising produced by local Canarian disabled women to be sold on boats and to generate an extra income stream for boats whilst helping support (local) disabled women and fund the AOCN projects.
ALL OF THE ABOVE, AWDF CAN HELP WITH OUR STUDENT AND ALUMNI NETWORKS AND AT NO COST TO THE INDUSTRY, PROVIDING GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEY BUILD OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURE AND HELPING PRESENT THE INDUSTRY AS TRULY ETHICAL.