Scarpaci et al., 2008:

"Two of the most significant articles published on whale-watching impacts over the past year detailed a long-term study on Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Australia. These studies provided longitudinal data that allowed a comparison between subpopulations that were disturbed and undisturbed by whale-watching traffic over a long period (more than 10 years) and showed significant, but subtle, effects of such traffic.

Moreover, the following changes in social and movement patterns were documented at both study sites during experimental boat approaches:

- dolphin groups became more compact;

- higher rates of change in membership occurred;

- directions of travel and erratic changes in swimming increased.

Bejder et al. (2006b) documented a decrease in dolphin abundance at the impact site over a 10-year period. In the disturbed region, over the course of the study, one dolphin-watching company began operations in the disturbed area, which in itself did not result in any change in dolphin abundance or distribution. However, when a second company began operations, there was a significant decrease in dolphin abundance (a 14.9 per cent decline). In the undisturbed (i.e., control) site, there was a slight, but not statistically significant, increase in dolphin abundance (8.5 per cent). This study shows a significant effect on a dolphin population despite a relatively low density of whale-watching vessels (i.e. two).

Lusseau (2006) presented a study in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, which quantified changes in specific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behaviours in response to different types of boat traffic. Moreover, type of boat present and whether boats were, or were not, violating the New Zealand Marine Monitoring Protection Regulations (1992) was a factor in the behavioural changes.

The behavioural activities of northern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia (Canada) were documented in the presence and absence of boat traffic (a component of which are whale-watching vessels) by Williams et al., (2006). The results of this study indicated that whales significantly switched their activity from one behavioural state to another in the presence of vessels.

There have been considerable advances in whale-watching research in the previous year, with a growing number of studies showing that whale-watching can have behavioural impacts that translate into biologically significant effects for populations."

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Citation and/or URL

Scarpaci, C., Parsons, E.C.M. and Luck, M. 2008, Recent advances in whale-watching research: 2006-2007, Tourism in Marine Environments, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 55-66.

Spatial Coverage

World-wide

Temporal Coverage

June 2006 - May 2007

Update Frequency

Other Information

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