Abstract
Spinner dolphins on Hawai‘i Island’s west coast (Stenella longirostris longirostris) rest by day in protected bays that are increasingly popular for recreation. Because more frequent interactions of people with these dolphins is likely to reduce rest for dolphins and to explain recent decline in dolphin abundance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed stricter rules regarding interactions with spinner dolphins near the main Hawaiian Islands and plans to increase enforcement. Simultaneous investment in public education about both interaction rules and their biological rationale has been and is likely to be relatively low. To test the hypothesis that more educational signage will reduce human-generated disturbance of dolphins, a paper questionnaire was distributed to 351 land-based, mostly unguided visitors at three dolphin resting bays on Hawai‘i Island’s west coast. Responses indicated that visitors wanted to see dolphins, were ignorant of interaction rules, were likely to read signs explaining rules and their biological rationales, and were likely to follow known rules. Therefore, investment in effective educational signage at dolphin resting bays is recommended as one way to support conservation of spinner dolphins on Hawai‘i Island’s west coast and similar sites in the Hawaiian archipelago.
Highlights
Wildlife tourism is a large and rapidly growing sector of the worldwide tourism industry and has great potential to affect biodiversity conservation [1, 2]
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) mortality increased with transmission of respiratory pathogens from tourists and/or guides, marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) immunological capabilities decreased with an increase in tourism intensity, and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp.) abundance decreased with an increase in tour boat visitation [6,7,8]
We conducted our survey at the three bay on Hawai‘i Island’s west coast that were frequented by spinner dolphins [18], that were accessible to the public by both land and water, and that would be affected by the time area closure discussed in the draft Environmental Impact Statement on dolphin interactions [19]; these bays are named Kealakekua, Hōnaunau, and Kauhakō (Fig 1)
Summary
Wildlife tourism is a large and rapidly growing sector of the worldwide tourism industry and has great potential to affect biodiversity conservation [1, 2]. Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) mortality increased with transmission of respiratory pathogens from tourists and/or guides, marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) immunological capabilities decreased with an increase in tourism intensity, and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp.) abundance decreased with an increase in tour boat visitation [6,7,8]. To reduce these impacts of tourism on wildlife, management agencies often draft and administer policies that use a combination of policy instruments, such as regulations, incentives, and education [9, 10].
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