Madeira has achieved the prestigious status of Whale Heritage Area (WHA), a recognition granted by the Wildlife Heritage Area program, a collaboration between World Animal Protection and the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA).
This award celebrates Madeira’s dedication to responsible wildlife watching and conservation.
The Cetacean Heritage Areas symbolize places where communities actively contribute to the
preservation of specific species and habitats, emphasizing their value in the region’s natural and cultural heritage, responsible tourism, coexistence between humans and wildlife, and governance, and are then evaluated by an international panel.
Elizabeth Cuevas, WHA manager, said: “Madeira’s designation is a testament to the community’s commitment to conservation and responsible tourism. It shows the deep cultural bond between the locals and the whales”.
Madeira’s WHA Committee, formed in January 2023, includes several institutions, such as the
Madeira Whale Museum, MARE-Madeira/ARDITI, the WCA’s partner whale watching company Lobosonda, governmental institutions such as the Institute of Forestry and Nature Conservation (IFCN) and the Regional Secretariat for Sea and Fisheries (SRMar), the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture (SRTC), the Madeira Promotion Bureau (APM), the local artistic association ARTE. M, the pro-sustainability groups GREENER ACT and SOA Ocean Devotion Madeira.
Also the Whale Watching Board, which represents several regional ecotourism companies.
Paula Thake, the Committee’s coordinator, said: “This certification recognizes Madeira’s ongoing
efforts in marine life conservation, empowering our community to collectively protect our cetacean populations”.