This December 2021 article by Professor Karen Edyvane, president of the Marine Tourism Association of Timor-Leste (ATM-TL), describes a whale-spotting programme run with fishing communities at Subaun and Behau, on the north coast east of Dili below Mount Curi.
How the network works
- During the pygmy blue whale migration (roughly September to December), local fishers and young people watch the sea from canoes and from the coastal hills, every day.
- When they see a blue whale or sperm whale, they phone Dili-based whale-watching operators, so boats can find the animals without the spotter planes used in some countries.
- Fishers trained in citizen science can identify species from a distance, even from their blows. Drone photos help researchers check the health of individual whales.
- The programme is supervised by ATM-TL marine wildlife officer Potenzo Lopes, a nature photographer who previously worked with BirdLife International.
What it has recorded
Hundreds of pygmy blue whales each year, including mothers with calves, as well as large groups of sperm whales and dolphins. Timor-Leste has more than 20 recorded species of whales and dolphins.
Responsible whale watching
National whale-watching guidelines were launched in 2020, but government regulations had not been passed when the article was written. To fill the gap, ATM-TL set up a “Responsible Whale Tour Operator” certification in 2020; certified operators follow the guidelines and share sightings data for research.
The programme was funded by a grant from USAID’s Tourism For All project and built on five years of research led by the National University of Timor-Leste with ATM-TL. For trips, see our whale and dolphin watching guide.