Embrace the ocean
Watching Company
Turumon is the first whale-watching company established in Hualien. It is said that in the early years, the mouth of Liwu Creek was rich in gold…
Introduction
Turumon is the first whale-watching company established in Hualien. It is said that in the early years, the mouth of Liwu Creek was rich in gold, and the river mouth glistened under the golden sunlight. ” Turumon ” is what the Spaniards used to shout out when passing through; it is also said that it is the name of the indigenous tribe who settled in Wuxikou.
Tourists who sign up for whale-watching must first partake in a 15-30min indoor introduction, and then go to the pier to take a boat out to sea.Lv Shiming, general manager of Turumon whale watching, says there is a 97% chance of seeing the cetaceans during the 2-hour sea journey. On average 1.6 groups of whales are seen on each trip out to sea.
These figures do not come from thin air, but a result of 20-years worth of research. Turumon Whale Watching and Kuroshio Marine Culture Education Foundation was established at around the same time, with the purpose of promoting marine education. The guides of the whale watching activities are all researchers from Kuroshio. In addition to providing commentary, they also make records on species, number, behavior, and distribution of whales every time they go out to sea.
Lu Shiming mentioned that there are about 80 species of whales in the world, and more than 30 species can be seen in Hualien, with a sighting rate of above 90%. He jests that the whales and dolphins in the ocean are only ‘working students’. Turumon’s whale watching is conducted by boats, bringing land-dwellers into the ocean where the infinite splendor of the seas can be fully embraced.
Features of Agricultural Tourism
recreation fishery
When the ship encounters cetaceans in the sea, the captain will stop to observe whether the cetaceans are willing to interact, never risking collision for the sake of tourist pictures. Tourists are understandably exhilarated to see these creatures, but collisions will only lead to the cetaceans avoiding guide boats and humans in the future.
Due to the strong northeast monsoon and large waves apparent during winter, whale-watching boats cannot venture out to sea. Turumon whale watching planned an alternative sea education during this off-season. First, they moved to their current location in the port area and built a cetacean cultural center. Then they held the wilderness film exhibition, bringing their videos into school campus to interact with children, all the while promoting the concept of environmental sustainability.
From sea to land, Turumon Whale Watching continues to arrange different events and activities to promote marine education. Whale-watching is at its best when it is not just pure entertainment, but actually brings people closer to the sea.
