High Quality Whale Watching®

Welcome to the section dedicated to Italian operators certified by High Quality Whale Watching® (HQWW®).

Operators who have obtained HQWW® certification are committed to conducting whale watching activities in an eco-responsible manner, guaranteeing quality experiences that fully respect the marine environment.

CIMA Research Foundation is an official partner of ACCOBAMS and the Pelagos Agreement for the implementation of the HQWW® label in Italy.

Several financial contributions have supported the implementation of the activities:

the EcoSTRIM project, funded by the European Union’s Interreg Italy-France Maritime Programme 2014-2020, with a pilot action in Liguria, Tuscany and Sardinia (2018-2021)
The project “Modular assessments for sustainable development of blue tourism: Ligurian territorial waters as a case study”, funded by the National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC) – Activity 4 “Biodiversity mainstreaming in Maritime Spatial Planning” (2023-2025)
The agreement with the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano for awareness-raising, dissemination and promotion of the international sanctuary for the protection of marine mammals in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (2025-2027)

Whale Watching

Whale watching is a commercial tourist activity that consists of nature excursions by boat to observe cetaceans in their natural habitat. In recent years, growing interest has led to significant development in this sector within marine tourism.

Internationally, scientists, governments and industry operators are carefully analysing the potential impact of this activity, with the aim of identifying and disseminating best practices for responsible and sustainable whale watching.

For further information, please refer to the guide produced by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body responsible for the protection of cetaceans on a global scale: wwhandbook.iwc.int

Certification

To accompany the growth of the sector and guarantee a quality service, the High Quality Whale Watching® (HQWW®) label has been created, registered by ACCOBAMS and developed in collaboration with the Pelagos Agreement.

The trademark identifies operators who choose to carry out whale watching activities with full respect for the marine environment and animal welfare. Membership is exclusively voluntary, through an application and verification procedure.

Obtaining HQWW® certification is strongly recommended for operators who wish to offer a qualified and internationally recognised service. It ensures compliance with the code of conduct for cetacean observation, guaranteeing a correct and responsible approach to dolphins and whales.

For further information on the label, please visit the official pages of the agreements: Pelagos Sanctuary and ACCOBAMS.

Procedure

Whale watching companies already in operation can express their interest by sending an email to hqww@cimafoundation.org.

1. Registration for training

Three professional figures must be registered:

Legal representative
Captain or skipper
Guide

The same person may hold more than one role.

2. Training and examination

The training programme lasts two days and includes:

Identification, physiology and biology of cetacean populations in the Mediterranean
Legal framework for species conservation and the ACCOBAMS and Pelagos agreements
Code of conduct for approaching cetaceans at sea
Scientific protocols for monitoring cetaceans
Identification of other marine species
Noise and pollution: issues and strategies for reducing impacts

To obtain certification, it is necessary to:

attend all training session
pass a final test

A certificate is issued to the company, certifying that it has acquired the skills to carry out its activities in a sustainable manner. This certificate is not issued to individual staff members who have taken the exam.

3. Signing of the agreement authorising use of the trademark

Use of the trademark is only permitted upon signing of the agreement stipulating that the company undertakes to comply with the regulations.

4. Obligations of certified operators

HQWW® operators undertake to:

have competent staff on board (thanks to preparatory training in the use of the trademark)
limiting stress on animals by fully complying with the Code of Good Conduct for approaching cetaceans
conducting educational and awareness-raising activities during excursions
contributing to research by sharing sighting data

5. Activities incompatible with certification

The following practices are not permitted:

significantly disturbing the animals, such as swimming with cetaceans and feeding cetaceans
use of detection systems (aircraft, drones, etc.) to locate animals in order to avoid excursions aimed at reaching reported animals with potential repetition of disturbance
combination of fishing and whale watching activities to limit the risk of negative habits of unnatural feeding of animals