The actions supported by the Doce RFP are aimed at environmental education and technical training for people in the communities
Every year, between July and October, humpback whales leave the icy waters of Antarctica to breed in the warm sea of Abrolhos, Bahia. On the way, they pass along the coast of Espírito Santo, in the municipalities of Aracruz, Conceição da Barra, Linhares and São Mateus, where they can be seen up close by tourists. With projects approved in the Renova Foundation’s Doce RFP, the Humpback-Whale and Ecomaris Institute, which work together in the Humpback-Whale Route Project, promote observation tourism and actions to preserve marine life.
The objective of the Humpback Whale Institute project is to promote humpback whale watching tourism, through the installation of “interpretive islands”, aimed at environmental education and dissemination of information about the species. In addition, training was planned for 105 people for positions such as ship masters, agencies and tour agents. The actions of Ecomaris Institute are also aimed at promoting tourism, in addition to carrying out technical training for 105 people in the communities where Ecomaris is present. The training took place in the first half of this year in preparation for the whale watching season.
About the Institutes
The Institutes are part of the actions that promote observation tourism, in addition to being responsible for taking visitors very close to the animals and promoting education and environmental awareness actions regarding whales and marine life in general. According to the oceanographer responsible for preparing the institutes’ projects, Paulo Rodrigues, the increase in the humpback population further strengthens this type of tourism. “Efforts to preserve the species can contribute to the expansion of observational tourism along the coast of Espírito Santo”, he says.
Operating since the 1980s with a project for the protection and recovery of the Brazilian humpback whale population, the Humpback Whale Institute works in marine conservation, mainly with species of whales and dolphins. In addition to organizing and monitoring the excursions that take tourists to meet the whales, the Institute’s work is to raise awareness and environmental education for the communities where it operates and also for visitors.
Created in 2005, the Ecomaris Institute is a private, non-profit scientific entity with a socio-environmental, educational and cultural nature, which stands out for projects involving research and conservation of sea turtles, dolphins and humpback whales.
Doce RFP
The Doce RFP is an initiative of the Renova Foundation to promote and support cultural, tourism, sports and recreation projects in the regions affected by the Fundão dam collapse. The initiative will allocate, in total, around R$ 12.5 million to 228 projects in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.