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Email the author (Login required) Short-term effects of tourism activities on the behavior of representative fauna on the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol38-issue3-fulltext-13
Abstract
This study focused on the short-term reactions of six key species (Taeniura meyeri, Aetobatus narinari, Triaendon obesus, Chelonia mydas, Phalacrocorax harrisi, and Zalophus californianus) during tourism activities (SCUBA diving, panga-ride, snorkeling, and hiking) at 16 tourist sites on the islands. For each species we recorded its behavior when first encountering tourists and its reaction following this encounter. A Correspondence Analysis revealed that the type of reaction of the species depended significantly on the type of touristic activity, with the exception of the black spotted and eagle rays. Moreover, the analysis showed that, for each species, the different tourist activities were significantly associated with particular animal activities. This suggests that the species analyzed are susceptible to specific tourism activities making it necessary to instate recommendations for management in order to guarantee sustainable ecotourism.
