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Marine mammal-based ecotourism is a well-established industry, and its pillar, whale watching, represents the most significant economic activity for many coastal communities. The fast growth of this business is due to the broad appeal... more
Marine mammal-based ecotourism is a well-established industry, and its pillar, whale watching, represents the most significant economic activity for many coastal communities. The fast growth of this business is due to the broad appeal that these charismatic, large animals have on many people and to coastal habitats that make some of them readily accessible. The benefits of marine mammal-based ecotourism are many and span from a better appreciation of the marine environment to sustaining local economies. The popularity of this form of marine tourism has, however, recently put in doubt its sustainability. Many species of marine mammals, at sea and on land, have been negatively affected by whale-watching and other tourism-related activities. In some cases, this “benign” ecotourism is becoming an additional threat to the survival of these animals. This chapter looks at this industry’s economic impact, its benefits and values, the negative effects on target species, and how we can mitigate negative impacts so that the welfare of marine mammals can be protected while visitors and operators alike benefit from ecotourism.
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ABSTRACT New methodologies and technologies allow to record an ever-increasing number of complex and accurate field data at sea but information on different species, especially top predators, are rarely collected simultaneously in an... more
ABSTRACT New methodologies and technologies allow to record an ever-increasing number of complex and accurate field data at sea but information on different species, especially top predators, are rarely collected simultaneously in an effective manner. The concurrent data collection -both in space and time -on birds and cetaceans (especially dolphins) may allow a better under-standing of ecological linkages in the marine ecosystem. Herein we describe a new approach involving direct entry of data by seabird observers using a hand-held, pen-based com-puter or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and illustrate a sim-ple database design and its field use for seabird data recording during cetacean surveys. The data -collected through Cyber-Tracker software -have the advantage of being date/time and GPS cross-referenced with cetacean data recorded on other computer platforms available on board (e.g. in our study: Log-ger software -developed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare -using a PC laptop) or with another PDA. The user-friendly PDA seabird database offers the benefits of: 1) easy adaptation to any other field protocol, 2) reasonable cost, and 3) easy handling in small vessels. [JMATE. 2008;1(1):9-11]
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Copyright © 2008 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College all rights reserved printed in the united states of america A Caravan book. For more information, visit www.caravanbooks.org Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication... more
Copyright © 2008 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College all rights reserved printed in the united states of america A Caravan book. For more information, visit www.caravanbooks.org Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bearzi, ...
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Deep Thinkers: Inside the Minds of Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises. By Janet Mann (editor), Camilla Butti, Heidi E. Harley, Patrick Hof, Vincent Janik, Eric Patterson, Andrew Read, Luke Rendell, Laela Sayigh, and Hal Whitehead. Chicago (Illinois): University of Chicago Press. $35.00. 192 p.; ill....more
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The goal of this book is to empower operators, regulators, and tourists to find the critical balance between possibly damaging consequences of wildlife tourism and the potential benefits to the local human communities, ecosystems, and the... more
The goal of this book is to empower operators, regulators, and tourists to find the critical balance between possibly damaging consequences of wildlife tourism and the potential benefits to the local human communities, ecosystems, and the wildlife themselves. It is essential to realize that ecotourism is frequently more environmentally friendly than other uses of natural resources. Thus, ecotourism can provide great incentives for nature conservation. Nonetheless, as previous chapters have shown, there are many examples of environmentally unfriendly ecotourism practices. It is imperative to mitigate any negative impacts of ecotourism not only for ecological reasons but also to enhance social and economic sustainability. The objective of this chapter is to provide a list of best practices based on the evidence discussed in previous chapters. Greater awareness of such practices will enable tourism operators and managers to make informed decisions for the benefit of both the wildlife t...
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Coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have been observed in proximity to swimmers, kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and surfers along near-shore corridors in the Santa Monica Bay, California. From 1997 to 2012, a total of 220... more
Coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have been observed in proximity to swimmers, kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and surfers along near-shore corridors in the Santa Monica Bay, California. From 1997 to 2012, a total of 220 coastal boat-based focal follows of dolphin schools were conducted in this area to determine a) the type and proximity of encounters between ocean recreational users and coastal dolphins, and b) the effects of these encounters on bottlenose dolphins’ behavior. The majority of encounters involved dolphins and surfers (77.93%, n=145 encounters), and overall, neutral reactions were observed in response to encounters (61.93%, n=176 behavioral responses). Interactions between bottlenose dolphins and recreational users were recorded only once, and changes in dolphin behavior were observed more frequently when recreational users were at distances of less than three meters from a school. Although the current impact of human activities on coastal bottlenose...
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We investigated pinniped ecology at sea in Santa Monica Bay, California. Animals were studied during 277 boat-based surveys conducted in 1997-2007 documenting that California sea lion Zalophus californianus was the most observed species... more
We investigated pinniped ecology at sea in Santa Monica Bay, California. Animals were studied during 277 boat-based surveys conducted in 1997-2007 documenting that California sea lion Zalophus californianus was the most observed species (89%, n sightings = 1393), followed by harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi: 8%, n sightings = 131), and northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris: 1%, n sightings = 15). Sea lions, and occasionally harbor seals, were found in aggregations with bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatis in 29% of the sightings (n bottlenose dolphin sightings = 205), short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis and long-beaked common dolphins D. capensis in 53% of the sightings (n common dolphins = 155). Sea lions and harbor seals were regularly observed in coastal waters (shore) but also in the entire bay, with both species showing a preference for submarine canyons. Northern elephant seals were only seen in offshore waters and mostly in proximity of the canyons...
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The occurrence, distribution, site fidelity, group size and behaviour of common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) were assessed during a photo-identification study conducted between 1997-2001 in Santa Monica Bay, California.... more
The occurrence, distribution, site fidelity, group size and behaviour of common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) were assessed during a photo-identification study conducted between 1997-2001 in Santa Monica Bay, California. Bottlenose dolphins occurred y ear- round in the bay and were encountered on 56.8% of all surveys ( n, total surveys=211). This species was found in waters within 0.5km of shore in 80.0% of the sightings ( n=157), but sometimes found in deeper waters further offshore (>0.5km). No correlations between anomalies in sea surface temperatures during the 1997-98 El Nino event and sighting frequencies were observed. Group sizes vari ed significantly between schools observed inshore and offshore in the bay, with the largest groups sighted offshore. A total of 290 dolphins were individually photo-identified based on long-term natural marks on their dorsal fins. Forty-four individuals (15.2%) were e ncountered in both inshore and offshore waters, showing no exc...