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Description:
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Interactions between humans and dusky dolphins in the coastal waters of New
Zealand are increasing . My research focused on tourism interactions , with Kaikoura as the
study site ; and , on habitat use in an active aquaculture area , with Admiralty Bay as the
study site . In Kaikoura , companies engaged in commercial cetacean tourism (For Hire
Company ) have permits issued by the New Zealand’s Department of Conservation ,
allowing them to take paying customers out to view and swim with wild dusky dolphins .
During summer and fall of 2005 , I assessed the effectiveness of a voluntary ‘rest
period’ established to give time free of humans to the dolphins . I used a theodolite to track
the movements of large groups of dusky dolphins and recorded the arrival , departure and
behaviors of all vessels approaching within 400 m of the group . The ‘rest period’ resulted
in a reduction of vessel visits compared to non -rest periods , yet one For Hire Company
and private recreational vessels continued to visit dusky dolphin groups during this time .
To increase compliance with the voluntary regulation , more education is needed targeting
private recreational vessels .
Weekend traffic was higher compared to weekday traffic , during both rest and
non -rest periods ; a large increase occurred in weekend non -commercial vessel traffic .
Swimming with calves is prohibited by New Zealand’s Marine Mammal Protection
Regulations of 1992 , yet 71 .4 percent of the swim attempts I observed on -board For Hire
Company tours were conducted with groups containing calves . More should be done to
reduce the number of swims conducted with groups of dusky dolphins containing calves . In winter of 2005 , I used hourly theodolite scans to record the number of dusky
dolphin groups using Admiralty Bay , a different near -shore environment with less tourism
than off Kaikoura , and with near -shore mussel farms . Groups of dusky dolphins were
observed in Admiralty Bay using the full extent of the bay . This re -enforces previous
findings that Admiralty Bay is an important winter foraging ground for dusky dolphins ,
and further aquaculture development in the bay would remove available foraging habitat . |