Whale watching gives Nova Scotia town economic boost

With the economy in a slump this past year and a lack-luster lobster season, the town of Digby, Nova Scotia and the nearby islands have been getting an economic boost from a busy whale watching season.

This year's season started a little slow due to cool, wet weather, but local tour operators are smiling. In an interview with the Digby Courier, Captain Craig Theriault, skipper of Passage Provider for Petit Passage Whale Watch said, “By the time people stop booking whale watching tours with us in the next week or so, we should top the numbers in the last five years. 2004 was an exceptional year for the whale watching industry but I think most of us involved in this aspect of tourism will agree that 2009 has been a good year.” Most agree that this year was a great year for tourism in the area. Numbers have been up, particularly in August and September, reports the Digby Courier. This year, the area has seen people from all over the world. Many Canadians have been staying home and travelling through the Maritime provinces, but there have also been visitors from Germany, Trinidad, England, Italy, Australia and California, says the Courier. In his interview with the Digby Courier, Theriault said, “The biggest percentage of tourists going whale watching this year have been from southern Ontario...with a good mix from Europe." Theriault started his whale watching business in 1994, but tours have been offered in the area for about 20 years, said Theriault. He says, “It’s a positive spin for the local economy and draws people from all over the world to our area," reports the Courier.