Whalewatching Reaps $2.1 Billion

Maybe money will convince people the whales are worth saving. According to a new study, the whalewatching industry took in over two billion dollars in 2009—and that number has expected to grow by ten percent annually. The study, published in the Marine Policy journal, says in 2009 a whopping 13 million wildlife enthusiasts paid to stare at bodies of water in the hopes of catching the mammals in their natural habitats, generating $2.1 billion in revenue. Whale tourism could contribute 5,700 jobs to the global economy each year. "There is a tremendous economic future—a sustainable future—in whale watching, not whale killing," said Peter Garett, Australia's minister for environment.