Take a whale watching tour from Durban Harbour or head off on a safari in Tala Game Reserve – which excursion will you choose?

These are the two fantastic excursions that have been arranged for delegates to the World Whale Conference 2017, in Durban, South Africa.

Both excursions will be run on Saturday 24th June – prior to the start of the conference – and will give delegates a chance to see the local wildlife and environment and meet with other delegates.

Whale Watching Tour

Advantage Tours, a WCA Partner is hosting a whale watching tour from Durban Harbour to spot whales and other marine animals.  Travelling on the 40-seater vessel, DA BOSS, delegates will be taken on a two hour tour of Durban’s marine waters on the look out for cetaceans, in particular migrating humpback whales which pass by Durban on their way north up the south eastern coast of Africa.

Safari in Tala Game Reserve

Aqua Tours, the official Tours & Transfers Company for World Whale Conference 2017, is providing a safari for delegates to head out to spot rhino, giraffe, kudu and many other land-based animals. Delegates will leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city and journey into the gently rolling countryside of the Natal Midlands to one of Kwazulu Natal’s best kept secrets, Tala Private Game Reserve.

Both of these fantastic tours can be booked directly with the tour operators by visiting the Excursions page of the World Whale Conference website.

Would you like to host a workshop at the World Whale Conference 2017? 

Perhaps there is a topic which you have a deep interest in and would like to bring to the floor?

Or maybe there is an issue which you think is topical right now and which you think would benefit from a discussion amongst in a wider group?

The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) has extended the application period for workshop proposals for the World Whale Conference 2017.

Applications should be made online at: https://whaleconference.myt.uk.com/programme/workshops/

Applications may now be made until 31^st March 2017. Successful applicants will be informed by 14^th April 2017.

Date: Sunday 25^th June 2017

Venue: Hotel Protea Edward, Durban, South Africa

Workshop applications are open to all conference delegates addressing all subjects relating to cetaceans. If space becomes limited, priority will be given to workshops focused on African cetaceans or of likely interest to African participants.

It will be the responsibility of the workshop organiser to collect participant fees and pass them over to the Conference Organiser.  It will also be the responsibility of the workshop organiser to provide receipts to attendees and create a list of attendees – copy to the Conference Organiser.

Workshop fees:

Full Day: South African Rand (ZAR) 500 per attendee

Half Day: South African Rand (ZAR) 300 per attendee

(Minimum number of attendees = 10)

The fee includes use of venue, wireless HD projector, pointers/presenters, complimentary 500MB voucher per a delegate, conference stationery, 1 x flip chart with markers, refreshments on arrival/mid-morning/afternoon, bottled water, cordials, sweets and lunch (full day only).

The workshop organiser may look for sponsors to cover these costs.

2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

WCA are thrilled to announce that the World Whale Conference #WorldWhale2017 is supporting the UN’s 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

The World Whale Conference 2017 is listed on the #IY2017 Celebrations Map and Calendar, and details of the conference will also be included in the Report of the International Year to the United Nations General Assembly.

#WorldWhale2017 #IY2017

WWC 2017: Towards Responsible Tourism for Cetaceans

The WWC 2017 is organised by the World Cetacean Alliance in partnership with Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau and eThekwini Municipality. The conference will focus on developing Global Minimum Standards and Best Practice Guidance for Cetacean Tourism.

Areas of discussion will include:

• Cetaceans in Captivity
• Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching
• In-water Encounters with Whales and Dolphins
• Rescue and Rehabilitation of Whales and Dolphins

Registration for the World Whale Conference 2017 in Durban, South Africa is now open! Click here to book your place in Durban!

World Whale Conference 2017

The 2017 World Whale Conference will focus on promoting responsible whale and dolphin tourism. Hosted by the Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau and eThekwini Municipality at the Protea Edward hotel from 24th-29th June, the conference will unite national, regional and global stakeholders from cetacean conservation and welfare backgrounds, the whale watching industry, as well as travel and tourism companies. Delegates will hear from expert speakers, then discuss and share evidence on best practice for responsible cetacean tourism. Attendees will leave the conference with a better understanding of how we can improve and ensure the protection of cetaceans in southern Africa and worldwide.

Towards Responsible Tourism for Cetaceans

#WorldWhale 2017 will achieve three important goals for cetaceans in tourism:

1. Agree a set of Global Standards that protect cetaceans in tourism by combining current best practice guidelines, advice from practitioners, and the latest scientific research into one resource.
2. Create an International Advisory Committee for Cetaceans in Tourism (both in the wild and in captivity) to oversee the agreed Global Standards.
3. Seek endorsement for both the Global Standards and Advisory Committee from national and international institutions, regulatory bodies, governments, NGOs, and the travel industry.

WCA’s World Whale Conference 2017 will unite cetacean scientists, conservationists and welfare experts with whale watching operators, tour operators and other industry representatives, to discuss how tourism can be effective in protecting and celebrating marine wildlife across Africa – and the world – for generations to come. Take a look through the conference programme and find out more on the speakers, workshop sessions, community events, and delegate only excursions that are taking place as part of the 2017 World Whale Conference.

Whale Heritage Site summit

Following the conference, the WHS summit will give candidates a chance to showcase their destinations to representatives from tourist destinations and organisations, international institutions and the private sector, along with global experts in tourism, sustainability and whale watching. Delegates will then discuss and explore opportunities for the development of new sites, and networks of sites, in Africa and beyond.

Click here to visit the registration page and book your place in Durban!

The week following the World Whale Conference 2017 in Durban, will see Reunion Island host the second Humpback Whale World Congress.

The HWWC is an opportunity to invite internationally well-known researchers to present their scientific works on humpback whales. The congress is organized around oral presentations and poster sessions to allow local, regional and international researchers to present their projects, analysis and conclusions. This event can facilitate meeting between researchers, students, professionals and amateurs, and encourage scientific studies as well as conservation efforts of humpback whales on a local, regional and global scale. The second edition will be held in Reunion Island from July 3rd to July 7th 2017.

Registration process will be open in January 2017. For further inquiries, feel free to email secretary@hwwc.mg