Whale watching companies organize boat trips where people can go out into the ocean and observe whales (and dolphins and other cetaceans) in their natural habitat. It is a type of tourism or recreational activity that is like birdwatching in that people go out to observe animals in their natural environment without impacting the animal.
Whale watching has become a very popular activity and is estimated over 13 million people do this annually and in the process generate over $2 billion in revenue for tourism operators and supporting businesses and employ over 13,000 workers.
Organized whale watching started in the US in 1950 in San Diego when the Cabrill National Monument was opened as a public venue for observing migrating gray whales. In 1971 the Montreal Zoological Society organized the first boat tours on the St Lawrence River to view Fin and Beluga whales.