I knew it was time for this piece when I opened the Kmart sales flyer.  There on page one was Ocean Barbie,  totally outfitted for whale watching, diving and underwater photography. Barbie, Ken and Kira were accompanied by beautiful dolls -- not other people, but whales, dolphins, and a baby seal!  Surely ecotourism has arrived if Mattel and Kmart say so.
     So the world of toys reflects a new, fast developing trend in our lives.  Enjoying the romance of the seas and the glorious cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) in them  have become an important segment of  America's vacations and adventure travel.  Airliners easily broke the chains that held us landlocked, and today the oceans belong to us all, not just to a fortunate few who happen to live along the shores.
     Whale watching today is a burgeoning force in vacation and soft adventure travel,  wildlife study and conservation, and service and travel for seniors.  It is significant to every level of education, from kindergarten through adult continuing education.  Revenues from whale watching in 1994 were estimated to be more than  $500,000,000 worldwide! 
     Whale watching is a growing part of modern ecotourism, a new way of traveling that is non-consumptive of the whales or other resources, and is strictly non-polluting.  This tourism seeks to educate and entertain participants, but also to improve

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