Whale watching season is about to begin in Hualien, but tour operators aren’t optimistic about tourism. They saw the flow of customers has dried up since the April 3 earthquake. Not only that, the quake caused major uplift in the Earth’s surface, making it harder for tour boats to operate. To support Hualien tourism, the Ocean Conservation Administration held a certification ceremony on Monday, honoring local businesses that run responsible marine tours.

Tourists exclaim as dolphins leap from the sea. Off Hualien County, whale watching boats offer an unforgettable outing.

Guests are taught the tenets of responsible marine tourism: never chase, touch, or feed the animals. Whale watching season starts in May, but the April 3 earthquake has dampened tourism interest in Hualien. Not only that, the earthquake caused some 45 centimeters of crustal uplift that’s made it harder to board boats.

Lo Jen-tse
Whale watching boat captain
The Earth’s surface has moved up, so during low tide, there’s a greater height difference at our boarding points. That makes it harder to embark and disembark. In the future, we might need to build deeper stairs or consider other measures.

Chiu Hsi-tung
Whale watching tour operator
Since the April 3 earthquake, our customer inflow has dried up. Our boats have hardly been in use.

The Ocean Conservation Administration held a certification ceremony on Monday to honor responsible whale watching tour operators. The event was also aimed at driving interest in Hualien tourism, to support the region’s recovery from the earthquake.

Huang Hsiang-wen
Ocean Conservation Administration director-general
The earthquake is in the past, and the dolphins have returned. So we invite everybody to seize the opportunity to head out to sea. The Ocean Conservation Administration promotes responsible whale watching. We want our experience and compassionate boat captains to teach people how they can experience whales up close, while also protecting marine life.

A tour guide says that if visitors are wary of Hualien’s mountains during aftershocks, they can still consider enjoying marine activities. May to October is whale watching season, and locals hope to see tourists return.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan