Bermuda now has now signed into law a marine mammal sanctuary, with a focus on the humpbacks, as announced by Minister of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Marc Bean along with Andrew Stevenson of the Humpback Whale Research Project Bermuda and David Freestone, Executive Director of the Sargasso Sea Alliance.

Andrews film, "Where the Whale Sing" is screening at WhaleFest 2012, with further footage and information in the conservation zone and a chance to win a signed copy of the book, Whale Song.

Bermuda now becomes an important signatory for humpback protection along their migratory route.

Andrew started out on this project because he was walking on the beach with Elsa, at the time his 5 year daughter, when a humpback breached and she asked "what was that and why did it do it?". The film documents Andrew, Elsa and later Somers journey to answer this question, and in the process Andrew founded the Humpback Whale Research Project Bermuda and has contributed much more than a film and book - raising awareness in Bermuda and beyond - he has become one the experts through shear motivation and working with experts else where along the migratory route, and has been instrumental in getting research teams working in somewhat isolation to each area to combine and pool data and knowledge to build the full picture of the humpbacks life.

In the press conference video Andrews makes the points not only about whale watching but the need to continue protection in northern waters along the migratory route and the issues of by catch and illegal fishing. Successful conservation strategies for migratory species requires international co-operation.

Andrew is supporting WhaleFest and this story has another WhaleFest connection at the southern end of the migratory route with the whale watching and in-water work supportive research by Gene Flipse of www.consciousbreathadventures.com - who will be exhibiting at WhaleFest and who also will be screening a film in the cinema.

Andrews work shows what anyone can achieve - expert or not !