The Tongan Government has put a strict policy into place which restricts whale watching companies to just two boats per license. Many operators in the Vava’u area have bought extra vessels over the past few years due to public enthusiasm for wild whale and dolphin watching but in June of this year the Tonga Visitors' Bureau advised them that all operators had to limit their vessels to ensure the saftey of the animals. There are 13 licensed whaling watching operators in Vava'u and Dr Taniela Fusimalohi from the Tonga Visitors' Bureau said that studies had been carried out to determine how to regulate the whale watching industry in Tonga. However Fusimalohi recently commented that even two boats per operator may be too many in one area at a time.

There are concerns that not only are the whale-watching vessels disturbing the animals, but separately researchers are now taking DNA samples from the whales which may impact on them. Annually, an estimated 4,000 people visit Vava'u to watch and swim with the whales – of particular interest is the fact that the largest percentage of visitors who come to see the whales are Japanese.

The Marine Connection is in favour of controlling the number of boats with regards to cetacean watching and agrees that strict regulations have to be put into place for the protection of these animals. As an example, recently two men were arrested on alleged charges of operating a motorised boat in a whale sanctuary off South Africa, as well as allegedly being within 300 m of a whale. A local whale-watching tour guide and a member of the marine and coastal management saw the vessel speeding towards a whale between Gearing's Point and the New Harbour, Hermanus, allegedly stopping within 20-30 m from the animal. The South African police were inundated with calls from furious members of the public during the alleged incident.

This harassment of marine mammals is by no means limited to far off destinations. Closer to home, the Marine Connection would like to encourage all members of the UK public to inform the police if they witness anyone out on the water, be it a boat operator, jet skier or individual deliberately harassing dolphins or whales. The UK police have wildlife officers who deal specifically with this type of issue. Marra a solitary dolphin which resides off the coast of Cumbria has been injured by a boat propeller for the second time. Although this was not a deliberate harassment, the female dolphin has some cuts from the collision, thought to be from some type of propeller - it has been reported that the wounds will heal naturally and no further treatment will be required. The worry with this particular animal is that she seems to enjoy interacting with people and hanging around the local boats but consequently this means she is putting herself at risk from injury or even death. Therefore, it is us, the general public, which must take particular care to keep Marra safe ensuring not to encourage the dolphin to interact and to stay at a respectable distance at all times.

It is therefore vital that we all help to keep marine mammals around the world from danger, ensuring they are left undisturbed and unharmed, ultimately making their ocean home a safer place for them to live.