The firth is home to the world's most northerly dolphin population - an estimated 130 bottlenose dolphins known locally as "loupers" or "tumblers".
And a report, commissioned by the Moray Firth Partnership, has shown that their presence in the firth is worth at least £4m to the local economy and supports more than 200 jobs in the sector through the overnight trips undertaken by tourists to see the dolphins.
Dolphin watching was a significant reason for 52,200 overnight visitors travelling to the East coast of Scotland, and 17,100 of these visitors considered seeing dolphins to be the main reason for their trip.
The findings were welcomed by Marion Macmillan, the chair of the partnership. She said: "We always knew that the dolphins were a great tourist attraction, but I don't think we realised just how important they were for a lot of tourists and that people often come specially to the area to see the dolphins and bring their spending money with them."
Ms Macmillan said it was important for the future of the
tourism industry on the East coast of Scotland that the potential of dolphin watching in the Moray Firth was developed still further.
But she stressed: "At the same time is has to be sustainable. We must not put the dolphins under pressure.
"It is not a case of saying let's go for it - let's have as many boats out there as possible chasing dolphins. We absolutely can't do that. The dolphin operators are very responsible and they wouldn't want to do that but we have to find a way of developing this kind of tourism without putting these beautiful animals under pressure."
Ms Macmillan said the best way forward would be to develop land-based facilities for dolphin watching.
"I think we are unique in Europe in having such a fantastic way of seeing the dolphins without having to go out to sea," she said. "And I know that
Highland Council, for example, are anxious to take that forward."
Richard Lochhead, the
Moray MSP and Scotland's
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, also welcomed the findings.
He said: "Dolphins are much loved
inhabitants of Scotland's eastern waters and it is little wonder that many thousands of people plan especially to see them. But beyond their charm, they are also a very visible symbol of a healthy and sustainable marine environment."
Mr Lochhead added: "The Marine Scotland Act has been created to protect our wild species - like dolphins - while we also ensure that Scotland continues to benefit from the riches contained within our waters.MPUMinCharsCutOff:210 PageLength:2566
MPUPositionFromStart:250 MPUPositionRange:1000
hasVideoOrImage:False
--->
