Ecotourism on Otago Peninsula: Preliminary studies of yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) and Hooker's sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)

Wright, M

Department of Conservation

1998

Department of Conservation

This document is hosted by the Department of Conservation in two parts:

Part I: www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc068.pdf

Part II: www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc068a.pdf

otago@doc.govt.nz

www.doc.govt.nz
 

Ecotourism is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry in New Zealand. It should be non-damaging, non-degrading and ecologically sustainable nature tourism; there should be no negative effects on the species targeted.

The majority of New Zealand’s ecotourism activities are on Department of Conservation (DoC) administered land, or target marine birds or mammals that DoC is charged with protecting. Two ecotourism ventures on Otago peninsula were studied – one based on yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) at Sandfly Bay and the other on Hooker’s sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) at Papanui Beach.

Sandfly Bay (45 °54′S 170°39′E) on Otago Peninsula is a DoC Conservation Area with wildlife refuge status. The landing times of adult yellow-eyed penguins were recorded and compared with those of yellow-eyed penguins at Double Bay, an area closed to the public and less than 3 km from Sandfly Bay. This study concluded that there was no difference in landing times between the public and the non-public beach. On Sandfly Bay the numbers of humans visible on predetermined zones on the beach were also recorded and statistical tests compared the frequency of penguin landings with human presence on these different zones. It was found that the proportion of penguin landings was less while people were present in only one zone, – the eastern-most sector of the beach, nearest the penguin habitat and landing site. DoC’s management strategy for Sandfly Bay consists of a viewing hide on the sandhills at the east end of the beach and signs encouraging people to use the hide and asking them not to go on to the area of the beach where this study found human presence equated with fewer penguin landings. This study concludes that if these guidelines are
followed, the factor of human presence on the beach will have little short-term behavioural effect on yellow-eyed penguins.

The study of impacts on Hooker’s sea lions was conducted at Papanui Beach (45°52′S 170°44′E). It involved two ‘approachers’ walking up to either a solitary sea lion or one which was a member of a group. Approaches were to 5 m, 10 m and 20 m of the sample animal. Behaviour was observed before, during and after the approach was made and the animal’s behavioural state and the behavioural events it performed were recorded.

No significant difference in the proportion of time the sea lions spent in a specific behavioural state (lying versus sitting/moving) or in the number of times they performed a behavioural event was found with any of the six treatments (three approach distances with solitary or group animals). Positive correlations were found between thermoregulatory behaviours and both ambient temperature and black bulb temperature (an approximation of sea lion body temperature). The importance of these behaviours and possible outcomes of disturbance are discussed, as are population change implications. The extrinsic value of the approachers’ group size in this and other studies is discussed. Other studies of Hooker’s sea lion tolerance of humans at Papanui Beach suggest that habituation may have occurred at that beach.

Keywords:

Tourism, Conservation, Department of Conservation, Study, Tourism, Ecotourism

Evaluation

Otago

Outdoor Recreation

Tourists

Coast and beach, Commercial

Impacts - environmental, Planning, Tourism

1324

June 20, 2012

June 21, 2012