Tourism has potential costs and benefits. The challenge is to make sure that the educational benefits outweigh the potential impacts on the animals.

The effects of tourism on behaviour, movements and sound production has been the focus of our research projects on sperm whales, dusky, bottlenose and Hector’s dolphins in the presence and absence of boats and swimmers. All the populations we have studied show clear effects of disturbance. In some cases these disturbances appear to be minor. In other cases the effects are potentially serious.

Several of our studies have directly led to changes in management of tourism. For example, the dusky dolphins at Kaikoura now have a "time out" period during the middle of the day. There is a time limit on how long tour boats can stay with Hector’s dolphins in Porpoise Bay. The Department of Conservation has placed a moratorium on further permits for watching sperm whales at Kaikoura. All of these decisions were informed by the Trust’s research.

Publications and reports

• Lusseau, D., Slooten, E. and Currey, R.J.C. Unsustainable dolphin-watching in Fiordland, New Zealand. Impacts of commercial whale-watching on male sperm whales at Kaikoura, New Zealand. Tourism in Marine Environments 3: 173-178 (2007).
• Richter, C., Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. Impacts of commercial whale-watching on male sperm whales at Kaikoura, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science 22(1). 46-63 (2006).
• Lusseau, D., Slooten, L. and Currey, R.J.C. Unsustainable dolphin-watching tourism in Fiordland, New Zealand. Tourism in Marine Environments 3: 173-178 (2006)
• Richter, C.F., Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. Sperm whale watching off Kaikoura, New Zealand: Effects of current activities on surfacing and vocalisation patterns. Science for Conservation 219: 5-78 (2003).
• Lusseau, D. and Slooten, E. Cetacean sightings off the Fiordland coastline: Analysis of commercial marine mammal viewing data 1996-99. Science for Conservation 187. Published by Department of Conservation, Wellington (2002).
• Barr, K. and Slooten, E. Effects of tourism on dusky dolphins at Kaikoura. Conservation Advisory Science Notes: 229, Department of Conservation (1999).
• Bejder, L., Dawson, S.M. & Harraway, J. Responses of Hector’s dolphins to boats and swimmers in Porpoise Bay, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science 15 (3): 738-750 (1999).

For a list of general Trust associated publications and reports on marine mammals and marine mammal ecology, click here. To find out about the people involved in this research, see the University of Otago Marine Mammal Research Group web site.