Whale watching is the practice of observing whales in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreational reasons but scientific and educational institutions also arrange expeditions for observing these animals for scientific or educational reasons. Whale watching is also a big commercial activity, estimated to be paying up to $1 billion per year to whale watching tour operators. Whale watching is a huge tourist attraction for the Dominican Republic and its tourist industry thrives on the participants from the activity.