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Dolphin watching boat excursions have been a popular tourist activity in Watamu and Shimoni for many years. They are run by community boat operators, hotels and other companies. However, until recently internationally accepted guidelines have not been in place or enforced. In order to ensure the welfare of dolphins, both WMA and GVI have created Good Dolphin Watching Guidelines, aiming to promote this as an ecotourism activity which can both economically benefit the local community and ensure that dolphins are protected from human harassment and disturbance.

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WMA and GVI train boat operators and safari sellers on dolphin watching best practices and customer services to increase professionalism and promote ecotourism principles. KWS is working closely with both organisations in order to ensure the guidelines are followed. So far, the response from boat operators who have been trained is good and compliance to guidelines is high.