Observing Whales and Dolphins

Whale watching at Francisco Coloane Marine Park.

© Feel Patagonia

By Marcela Torres

As the summer season approaches, the fascination for whales and dolphins attracts many tourists in search for a close encounter with this charismatic fauna. The activity has benefits and risks, however, and it is necessary to take some precautions to enjoy it responsibly.

Throughout Chile there are 18 dolphin species. The Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is found in shallow coastal waters, while the Bottle-Nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most popular and easiest to see, particularly in the surroundings of the Damas and Choros islands in the North.

Whales can also be seen, mainly in southern Chile, where you can find Rorquals, Southern Right Whales, Sperm Whales and Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). This species, one of the most fascinating, has an important feeding site in the waters surrounding the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, in southern Chile.

 

To ensure that a cetacean observation experience is fun and safe both for the animals and tourists, the following measures need to be in place:

• Keep a minimum distance of 100 meters (328 feet) from the animal that is closest to the boat
• The speed of boats while approaching and leaving the area should be constant and not exceed 4 knots
• The time of observation for each boat should not be more than 30 minutes
• Don’t ask your guide to chase the dolphins or whales and don’t try to touch them
• When the observation is over, the departure from the site should be carried out slowly and in the opposite direction of the movement of the whales or dolphins

It is important to keep in mind that dolphins and whales at sea are wild animals and we should not modify their way of life or behavior. That’s why it’s so important to avoid stroking them or establishing any sort of unnatural contact and that contributes to modifying their behavioral patterns, for example, getting used to close interactions with humans.

If we follow these guidelines, we will probably live an unforgettable responsible tourism experience.

May I Take a Picture of You?

Quechua weaver in Cusco, Peru.

© Marcela Torres

By Marcela Torres

Meeting people from other countries and cultures is part of the magic of traveling. We often encounter charming people that share their traditions with us and we can’t resist the temptation of capturing that moment with our photographic cameras. This enthusiastic impulse, however, may sometimes cause an unexpected negative reaction.

Several authors warn against the danger of the “tourist gaze”. What are they talking about? Sometimes people from the local community may feel they are being seen as objects; something weird or amazing that must be observed.

In addition, it is no myth that several tribes and indigenous cultures in Latin America reject photographs for several reasons, including the belief that these would steal their soul. From northern Mexico to southern Chile there are many accounts of communities that fear or distrust cameras and the intentions of the people that carry them.

A professional photographer remembers the time he arrived unannounced with some friends at a small town in the Sierra Central in Mexico and was suddenly surrounded by children who were attracted by their “curious” garments and attitudes. But the party ended the moment he took out his camera and aimed at the children, who ran away terrified.

At Ciudad Perdida (Lost City), in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, due to religious and cultural reasons, people of indigenous origin avoid having pictures taken of themselves, their homes and their objects. Tourists are warned not to insist in order not to make locals uncomfortable by invading their privacy.

The Mapuches, who live in southern Chile and Argentina, also reject photographs. To them, an image has a spirit and if someone captures it that person takes something away from them. This belief has presented a challenge to documentary producers, who always must give signs of respect in order to gain their trust and obtain their footage. Nevertheless, artists often just shoot photos or videos, promising to come back and give a copy, but never show again. It is important to understand that the Mapuches will always ask (and sometimes demand) a token of the time they gave away a piece of their soul. On a few occasions, people have been so offended by being photographed that they have broken tourists’ cameras.

The case of Italian scientist Guido Boggiani is, no doubt, the most extreme. Boggiani lived many years with the Caduveo tribe in Paraguay and was obsessed with body paintings and tattoos, shooting more than 500 photographs that he developed in the middle of the jungle. He was murdered in 1902, when he was 40 years old, and –although it is not really known for certain- it is believed that the motive was his photographic activity, since the expedition that went looking for him found his remains buried with his camera in pieces. After his death, a colleague of his published a series of 100 postcards of this Paraguayan tribe, which included a selection of 12 nude photos especially captured for scientists.

Of course, nowadays it is highly unlikely that anyone will threaten you with death just because you took a picture of them, but it is still worthwhile to avoid an unpleasant situation and show respect for the other person by asking a simple question: “May I take a picture of you?”

Indigenous Communities and Tourism: The Benefits of Co-Management

Lickan Antay Guide at the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve.

© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

Co-management of protected areas by the State and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, at the same time that it ensures protection for the environment on which these communities rely on for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

Los Flamencos National Reserve is located within the Atacama La Grande Indigenous Development Area, which was established in 1997 to promote sustainable development of the ancient territories of the Lickan Antay peoples. Since then, the Lickan Antay communities have strengthened their ancient rights to use the resources, in many cases using traditional ways and in others, applying modern natural resource management techniques.

When the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) began charging entrance fees to visit the Reserve, at the begining of the 2000 decade, the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao cut off the road to access Laguna Chaxa, in the Soncor Sector, to demand that tourism, carried out in their ancient territories, would also benefit the descendants of this ethnic group that live in this nearby town. Their action brought about a revision of the plan and CONAF and the Lickan Antay communities signed co-management agreements for four of the seven sectors of the Reserve: Soncor, Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Moon Valley and Tambillo.

Income generated from the entrance fees to these sites, which attract national and foreign visitors, has allowed the communities to strengthen programs to aid elderly and disabled people in their communities. At the same time, a significant amount of these incomes is invested in the management of each sector and staff salaries. The inclusion of local community personnel in the management of these sectors has allowed CONAF to redirect its staff to sectors and activities that were previously left largely unattended do to the lack of personnel and resources that affects the institution.

First Sustainable Visitor Center

Because of the increasing interest shown by tourists arriving from the nearby town of San Pedro de Atacama, the community decided to improve the site’s infrastructure and visitor information. To that end, in 2006, it partnered with CONAF and SQM mining company, which exploits lithium in the Atacama Salt Flat, to develop the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in the country.

The project included the architectural design and construction of the Visitor Center, incorporating techniques such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and wind mills. The roads were also repaired and the parking lot expanded.

At the same time, a group of local guides was trained, all of them members of the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao, in interpretation techniques, to convey effectively to visitors the natural and cultural values of the area. To support this, 5 bilingual signs were developed for the interpretive trail and 18 for the inner hall of the Center. A documentary video was also produced, in Spanish with English subtitles, to complement information provided to visitors.

The results could not have been better. Visitors to Laguna Chaxa comment that it is a pleasure to pay an entrance fee because you can see that the revenues are invested in the people and in improving the place, where you no longer find garbage lying around and there is good infrastructure. In addition, tourism has provided local people with a new source of income and each day more and more Lickan Antay Community members seek training to be part of the benefits of responsible tourism.