Research and Development Levy

At Southern Right Charters, we are committed to ensuring that our operations actively contribute to the conservation and scientific understanding of marine mammals. To support this commitment, we have implemented a dedicated research levy on all our Boat-Based Whale Watching (BBWW) trips.

Funds generated through this levy are directed towards supporting the important work of established research bodies such as the Mammal Research Institute.

We maintain an active and ongoing partnership with the Mammal Research Institute (MRI), a leading African Centre of excellence based at the University of Pretoria.

Through this collaboration, we contribute to critical long-term cetacean research by facilitating data collection at sea, providing access to whale sightings, and supporting research efforts focused on population dynamics, behavior, and migratory patterns of Southern Right Whales, as well as directly assisting in field work, around strandings, satellite tagging projects & more.

We also drive collaborations with international operators, growing the network of knowledge and open channels of communication – creating an open corridor for comparing sightings, patterns, or anomalies quickly and efficiently.

Additionally, this levy directly funds training of our team (and others) in Whale Disentanglement, allowing us to respond, rapidly – should there be any whale in distress within our reach.

By integrating this research & development levy into our operations, we ensure that every trip contributes directly to scientific research and conservation outcomes. This approach allows us to play a meaningful role in advancing knowledge, supporting global research initiatives, and promoting the long-term protection of whale populations.