The woman who played a pivotal role in uncovering whale migration patterns in Kenya

Until recently, most tourists and even some locals were unaware of the marine mammals that inhabit or travel through Kenya’s waters.

While Kenya has long been recognized for its safaris, with the Maasai Mara’s wildebeest migration drawing attention from July to September, the country's rich marine biodiversity was mostly known only to local fishermen.

However, thanks to the dedication of a former London-based lawyer, Kenya now boasts a flourishing marine tourism industry, with visitors flocking to Watamu, a coastal town 140 kilometers north of Mombasa, to spot humpback whales.

The shift began about a decade ago when Jane Spilsbury, living in Watamu with her marine biologist husband, started hearing from local fishermen about frequent dolphin and whale sightings.

Determined to gather proof, the couple spent six months on local fishing boats with only a few sheets of paper and a basic camera to document and capture any visible signs of the whales.

Chasing whales

Spilsbury moved to Watamu, home to the Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, one of Kenya’s earliest marine parks, when her husband Steve took a job working with the area's sea turtles – the main beach being a critical nesting site for endangered turtles.

In 2007, the Spilsburys helped establish the Watamu Marine Association – a partnership between hotels, local fishermen, divers, and other community members.

Their goal was to streamline communication and focus on conservation efforts, but they quickly found themselves fielding questions about Kenya's marine life.

"People were asking about whales and dolphins in Kenya, and we had no answers because studying marine mammals was prohibitively expensive," she recalls.

"So, we reached out to boat operators and asked, 'What do you see when you take people snorkeling?' They replied, 'Well, we also see dolphins out there.'"

The discovery of humpback whales in the region was a turning point, but Spilsbury admits she stumbled upon the information in a similarly casual manner.

"It was as simple as chatting with a fisherman at the bar and asking if he’d spotted any humpback whales. He just replied, 'Of course, we’ve been seeing them for 30 years.'" she recalls.

‘Amateur researchers’

Dubbed ‘citizen scientists,’ they began venturing into the waters together, seeking the migratory whales and compiling a database of their sightings.

"We really had no idea what we were doing," Spilsbury admits. "We weren’t scientists, but each of us brought our own unique skills to the table."

They were amazed to find a thriving Indo-Pacific dolphin population, and then the humpback whale sightings followed.

Gradually, they realized that the whales were making an annual journey past Kenya from July to September, traveling from Antarctica to Somalia to breed.

This gave rise to a new tourism sector, one centered around posters of the unspoiled white beaches and vibrant blue waters of the Kenyan coast – and now, occasional images of humpback whales breaching from the sea.

Their primary tool for gathering data is a WhatsApp group created to encourage locals to report regular sightings and strandings of marine mammals.

From May 2011 to December 2019, the group, which now counts 100 members, documented a total of 1,511 sightings.

In 2014, as the records and databases grew somewhat chaotically, the team got a significant boost with the arrival of Michael Mwang’ombe, a young self-taught scientist from Taita in southeastern Kenya.

Mwang’ombe, who had no formal scientific training, spent his high school years developing a plan to enter marine research, eventually arriving in Watamu to work with sea turtles.

After meeting Spilsbury and learning about the ongoing research, he persuaded her to allow him to assist with data collection.

"I’ll never forget the first time I saw dolphins; the emotion I felt was indescribable," he recalls.

"But when it came to the whales, I was a bit let down, because in school we were taught they were ferocious, dangerous, and enormous," he admits.

Collaborating with locals

When Mwang’ombe returned to his hometown, he was disheartened by the local reaction when he shared stories of Watamu’s incredible marine life.

"I came back all excited, telling people about my experience, but no one believed me, even with the photos," he recalls.

"They thought I had downloaded the images from the Internet. That moment was a turning point for me – realizing that people living right by the coast had no idea what was happening out in the ocean," he reflects.

"People were asking if whales eat humans or if they attack people. I knew that educating the locals would be my next big challenge," he says.

Mwang’ombe began collaborating with local fishermen, teaching them how to utilize the whale and dolphin populations as potential sources of income through tourism.

From 2016 to 2018, the fishermen were given cameras and asked to capture photos of any whale sightings while out at sea, helping to support the team’s research efforts.

"People were calling me constantly, they absolutely loved it. It’s these simple moments that remind me of the true value of my work," Mwang’ombe reflects.

"And this comes from a community that doesn't easily trust others – they've been encouraged to embrace new ways before, but they didn’t want that," he adds.

"For us, it’s about listening to them, offering suggestions, rather than pushing them into anything," he explains.

Hemingways Watamu, a local hotel, quickly got involved, providing the team with a boat and compensating them for taking tourists on whale watching excursions.

Spilsbury notes that this arrangement allows research and sightseeing to happen simultaneously, offering tourists a unique experience.

Fishermen are also tasked with providing updates – a quick WhatsApp message if they spot any activity, so the boat knows where to go next.

‘Whales to Wildebeest’

Over the years, both tourism and research in the country have developed in tandem. Both international and local tourists began visiting Watamu for the chance to witness humpback whales.

As a result, Spilsbury succeeded in persuading the Kenya Tourism Board to test the marketing slogan "Twin Migration – Whales to Wildebeest", highlighting the simultaneous occurrence of both migrations.

Prior to this, the country's pristine white sand beaches were typically a secondary stop for international tourists on safari trips.

The migration season was usually considered the low tourist season along the coast, as strong offshore winds brought in seaweed that covered the otherwise pristine beaches.

However, this seasonal downturn is now on the rise, boosted by the influx of whale watchers.

In 2018, 197 humpback whales were reported in the region, marking the highest number recorded since data collection began.

The number dropped to just 35 in 2019 due to unfavorable environmental conditions, but sightings have surged again in 2020.

In August, the Hemingways team had only one whale watching excursion that failed to spot any marine mammals.

Most of these trips were filled with domestic tourists, as international visitors remained scarce amid the pandemic, despite Kenya’s relatively low coronavirus case numbers.

At the time of writing, Kenya, with a population of just under 50 million, had reported fewer than 100,000 Covid-19 cases and just over 1,600 deaths.

A boost in domestic tourism

Melinda Rees, the general manager at Hemingways Watamu, says the pandemic has "encouraged Kenyans to discover their own country, and they’re realizing just how extraordinary it is."

Before Covid and the rise of whale tourism, the hotel would typically see just 20% occupancy during this season, mainly due to the unattractive seaweed.

However, this September, occupancy rates were between 80% and 100%, with nearly all bookings coming from domestic tourists.

"We’re prepared to cater to both domestic and international markets, but if one disappears, it presents a real challenge," Rees explains, adding that while the boost from local tourism has been invaluable, they haven't been able to reinvest in the hotel this year.

While the surge in tourism has been encouraging for Spilsbury, her focus remains firmly on research and conservation. The team has now documented 24 species of whales and dolphins in the region.

They’ve also been welcomed by the global scientific community, receiving invitations to international marine mammal symposiums and consistent external funding.

"The scientists are telling us that this is incredibly valuable, local data with immense significance," Spilsbury explains.

"And here we are, just regular people with everyday skills," she adds.

Now deeply involved in the country’s expanding marine tourism industry, Spilsbury, who previously worked in the UK government’s legal service before relocating, believes she will spend the rest of her life in Kenya, as "there’s so much more to do."

"Local people didn’t even know where Watamu was before," she says. "But now, there’s been a tremendous shift. It’s thrilling to see."

Correction: A previous headline exaggerated Jane Spilsbury's role in discovering whales in Kenya. While she played a key role in documenting their migration, the earlier version of the story also included two quotes from Spilsbury that overstated her involvement. These quotes have been removed.