CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA
An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching indus- try. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experi- ence can fo...
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ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/11666 2023-05-15T17:10:49+02:00 CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA Schuler, Alicia, R. Pearson, Heidi C. 2020-01-03 http://hdl.handle.net/11122/11666 en_US eng Cognizant, LLC Schuler, A. R., & Pearson, H. C. (2019). CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA. Tourism in Marine Environments, 14(4), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427319X15719404264632 [2020, 8 de maig]. http://hdl.handle.net/11122/11666 Tourism in Marine Environments Whale watching Conservation Proenvironmental attitudes Tourism management Regulation Article 2020 ftunivalaska 2023-02-23T21:37:44Z An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching indus- try. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experi- ence can foster environmental awareness and support for protection of whales and the environment. However, the sustainability of the industry could be jeopardized if increasing whale-watching vessel pressure affects the health of its resource, the whales. An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching indus- try. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experi- ence can foster environmental awareness and support for protection of whales and the environment. However, the sustainability of the industry could be jeopardized if increasing whale-watching vessel pressure affects the health of its resource, the whales. This study investigates whether participation in whale-watching tours in Juneau, AK can support conservation of whales and the environment. Participant knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors were obtained from 2,331 respondents in surveys before, after, and 6 months after a whale-watching tour during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Following a whale watch, the percentage of participants that indicated whale watching as a knowl- edge source increased (p = 0.022), awareness of guidelines and regulations doubled (p < 0.001), and strong support for regulations increased (p = 0.016). Six months later, these responses remained significantly higher than before the whale watch. Despite knowledge of distance threshold increasing after a whale watch (p = 0.003) and 6 months after (p = 0.021), getting close to whales remained an important factor in a participant’s whale watch. Participants had a higher likelihood of strongly sup- porting ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae Alaska University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA |
op_collection_id |
ftunivalaska |
language |
English |
topic |
Whale watching Conservation Proenvironmental attitudes Tourism management Regulation |
spellingShingle |
Whale watching Conservation Proenvironmental attitudes Tourism management Regulation Schuler, Alicia, R. Pearson, Heidi C. CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
topic_facet |
Whale watching Conservation Proenvironmental attitudes Tourism management Regulation |
description |
An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching indus- try. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experi- ence can foster environmental awareness and support for protection of whales and the environment. However, the sustainability of the industry could be jeopardized if increasing whale-watching vessel pressure affects the health of its resource, the whales. An increasing number of visitors to Juneau, AK, alongside a predictable population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), has supported the substantial growth of its whale-watching indus- try. The industry provides benefits to the community through economic gains, while the experi- ence can foster environmental awareness and support for protection of whales and the environment. However, the sustainability of the industry could be jeopardized if increasing whale-watching vessel pressure affects the health of its resource, the whales. This study investigates whether participation in whale-watching tours in Juneau, AK can support conservation of whales and the environment. Participant knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors were obtained from 2,331 respondents in surveys before, after, and 6 months after a whale-watching tour during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Following a whale watch, the percentage of participants that indicated whale watching as a knowl- edge source increased (p = 0.022), awareness of guidelines and regulations doubled (p < 0.001), and strong support for regulations increased (p = 0.016). Six months later, these responses remained significantly higher than before the whale watch. Despite knowledge of distance threshold increasing after a whale watch (p = 0.003) and 6 months after (p = 0.021), getting close to whales remained an important factor in a participant’s whale watch. Participants had a higher likelihood of strongly sup- porting ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schuler, Alicia, R. Pearson, Heidi C. |
author_facet |
Schuler, Alicia, R. Pearson, Heidi C. |
author_sort |
Schuler, Alicia, R. |
title |
CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
title_short |
CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
title_full |
CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
title_fullStr |
CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
title_full_unstemmed |
CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA |
title_sort |
conservation benefits of whale watching in juneau, alaska |
publisher |
Cognizant, LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/11666 |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae Alaska |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae Alaska |
op_relation |
Schuler, A. R., & Pearson, H. C. (2019). CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU, ALASKA. Tourism in Marine Environments, 14(4), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427319X15719404264632 [2020, 8 de maig]. http://hdl.handle.net/11122/11666 Tourism in Marine Environments |
_version_ |
1766067469855752192 |