Whale watching is an ecotourism activity that generates around 2.5 billion dollars a year worldwide according to the International Whaling Commission.
In Panama, these trips cost between US$40 and US$70 an hour and are so lucrative that many boatmen have changed the fishing business for sighting trips.
There are still no accurate records of how much this activity generates in Panama, however, experts estimate that only between the province of Veraguas and Chiriquí it could have an economic impact of about US$3 million.
Source: ANPanama.