Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef
A permitted tourism industry has developed at the Great Barrier Reef based on swimming with dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.). Using sightings reported by tourism operators and vessel effort data, this study found a 91% increase in the number of whale encounters over six seasons...
Published in: | Tourism in Marine Environments |
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Cognizant Communication Corporation
2013
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Online Access: | https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/1/CurnockEtAl2013_SwimWithMinkesTiMEpaperResOnline_11Feb13.pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/3/24944_Curnock_et_al_2013.pdf |
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ftjamescook:oai:researchonline.jcu.edu.au:24944 2024-02-11T10:02:18+01:00 Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef Curnock, Matthew I. Birtles, R. Alastair Valentine, Peter S. 2013-07-01 application/pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/1/CurnockEtAl2013_SwimWithMinkesTiMEpaperResOnline_11Feb13.pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/3/24944_Curnock_et_al_2013.pdf unknown Cognizant Communication Corporation http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/154427313X13659574649867 https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/ https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/1/CurnockEtAl2013_SwimWithMinkesTiMEpaperResOnline_11Feb13.pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/3/24944_Curnock_et_al_2013.pdf Curnock, Matthew I., Birtles, R. Alastair, and Valentine, Peter S. (2013) Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism in Marine Environments, 9 (1-2). pp. 5-17. open Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftjamescook https://doi.org/10.3727/154427313X13659574649867 2024-01-22T23:29:57Z A permitted tourism industry has developed at the Great Barrier Reef based on swimming with dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.). Using sightings reported by tourism operators and vessel effort data, this study found a 91% increase in the number of whale encounters over six seasons (2003-2008), and a small number of encounter ‘hotspots’ accounted for a substantial proportion of these encounters. Analysis of industry effort data revealed that a shift in effort among existing permitted operators was the most likely cause of the increase in whale encounters. Although the number of permitted operators has remained capped since permits were introduced in 2003, this study found substantial latent capacity in these permits. Further research is needed to identify social carrying capacity related issues for high use areas targeted for minke whale encounters, and it is recommended that the number of permits not be increased while the potential for cumulative impacts of tourist interactions on whales remains unknown. Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera acutorostrata minke whale James Cook University, Australia: ResearchOnline@JCU Tourism in Marine Environments 9 1 5 17 |
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James Cook University, Australia: ResearchOnline@JCU |
op_collection_id |
ftjamescook |
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unknown |
description |
A permitted tourism industry has developed at the Great Barrier Reef based on swimming with dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.). Using sightings reported by tourism operators and vessel effort data, this study found a 91% increase in the number of whale encounters over six seasons (2003-2008), and a small number of encounter ‘hotspots’ accounted for a substantial proportion of these encounters. Analysis of industry effort data revealed that a shift in effort among existing permitted operators was the most likely cause of the increase in whale encounters. Although the number of permitted operators has remained capped since permits were introduced in 2003, this study found substantial latent capacity in these permits. Further research is needed to identify social carrying capacity related issues for high use areas targeted for minke whale encounters, and it is recommended that the number of permits not be increased while the potential for cumulative impacts of tourist interactions on whales remains unknown. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Curnock, Matthew I. Birtles, R. Alastair Valentine, Peter S. |
spellingShingle |
Curnock, Matthew I. Birtles, R. Alastair Valentine, Peter S. Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
author_facet |
Curnock, Matthew I. Birtles, R. Alastair Valentine, Peter S. |
author_sort |
Curnock, Matthew I. |
title |
Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
title_short |
Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
title_full |
Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
title_fullStr |
Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
title_full_unstemmed |
Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef |
title_sort |
increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the great barrier reef |
publisher |
Cognizant Communication Corporation |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/1/CurnockEtAl2013_SwimWithMinkesTiMEpaperResOnline_11Feb13.pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/3/24944_Curnock_et_al_2013.pdf |
genre |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata minke whale |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata minke whale |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/154427313X13659574649867 https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/ https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/1/CurnockEtAl2013_SwimWithMinkesTiMEpaperResOnline_11Feb13.pdf https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/24944/3/24944_Curnock_et_al_2013.pdf Curnock, Matthew I., Birtles, R. Alastair, and Valentine, Peter S. (2013) Increased use levels, effort, and spatial distribution of tourists swimming with dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism in Marine Environments, 9 (1-2). pp. 5-17. |
op_rights |
open |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3727/154427313X13659574649867 |
container_title |
Tourism in Marine Environments |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
5 |
op_container_end_page |
17 |
_version_ |
1790598239626461184 |