More money can be made viewing Hawaiian spinner dolphins than can be banked swimming with the marine mammals, according to a recently released study.
The study, published Thursday in Frontiers of Marine Science, looked at the revenue generated from wild dolphin tourism in Kailua-Kona, as well as Waianae, Oahu. The areas are known resting habitats for the Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) and each locale has seen increased growth in wild dolphin swim tourism.
The findings offer the first revenue estimates that can provide context for the impact and economic role of the dolphin-swim industry in the state.
Hawaii’s wild dolphin tourism industry in 2013 generated an estimated $102 million on Hawaii Island and Oahu with dolphin viewing generating $58.6 million and swimming $39.2 million, according to the study of 77 dolphin tour companies by researchers with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Duke University and York University.
Hawaii Island dolphin tourism off Kailua-Kona accounted for approximately 43%, or $44.1 million, of the total annual revenue with about $13.5 million coming from dolphin swims and $26.3 million from watches.
“What surprised us was the study showed that dolphin viewing companies are making a larger profit than dolphin-swim businesses by an estimated $19 million per year,” said Carlie Wiener, PhD, an affiliate faculty in UH-Manoa’s geography department and lead-author of the study. “There are sizable differences between businesses in Kona and Waianae, which has significant impacts for how these businesses are managed. We see this paper as a first step for policy makers looking to implement management in areas where tourism occurs, and can provide context for further discussion on the ecological impact and economic role of the dolphin-swim industry in the state. We need to take into account protection for the dolphins, but also the livelihoods of the tour operators.”
The paper also breaks down the average lifetime revenue generated by a dolphin in Waianae, Oahu, and Kailua-Kona, determining that individual spinner dolphin can generate an estimated $3.3 million and $1.6 million, respectively. The analysis serves as a call for further research into the monitoring and regulation of wildlife tourism in Hawaii.
According to the authors, the observations have important considerations as the state looks at new regulations and management of the dolphin-tourism industry and offers resource managers a way of planning for future growth and risk assessment of a previously underestimated component of the marine tourism industry in Hawaii.
NOAA first began efforts to create rules aimed at reducing impacts by implementing time-area closures in spinner dolphin resting bays with the publication of an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking in 2005. In August 2016, NOAA proposed rules that would make it illegal to approach or swim with Hawaiian spinner dolphins in Hawaii.
The proposed regulation remains under final review, Ann Garrett, assistant regional administrator for the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office Protected Resources Division in Honolulu, said Friday. She noted that “we’re still a little ways off” from publication of final rule.
“NOAA’s proposed rule intends to reduce the harassment of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, while essentially establishing what are standards of behavior for the public, including the wildlife tourism industry,” Garrett said in a prepared statement announcing the UH study’s publication. “Nature-based tourism is growing worldwide, and like this study suggests, such opportunities can be good for the local economy. However, if wildlife viewing practices cause animals to be under a chronic state of disturbance, then we run the risk that the disturbance could lead to negative population level effects. If this happens, everyone loses out. By clearly identifying measures to prevent the disturbance and harassment of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, NOAA hopes to support a sustainable model for dolphin wildlife viewing in Hawaii.”
Garrett added Friday, “I’m glad that people are taking a look at this.”
If implemented, the rule would create a 50-yard barrier around Hawaiian spinner dolphins for swimmers, vessels (including stand-up paddleboards), and objects (such as drones) within 2 nautical miles of the shore. That means being within 1/2 of a football field of the mammal, by any means, including swimming or intercepting by boat, the mammal’s path, would be outlawed — statewide.
Currently, NOAA recommends as a guideline to stay at least 50 yards from Hawaiian spinner dolphins, which are protected by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. That figure is only a recommendation and not law, though it is currently illegal to harass dolphins. The proposed rule will help clarify what harassment means.
According to the study, an estimated 524 to 761 Hawaiian spinner dolphins, or naia, reside in waters around Kailua-Kona and 329 around Oahu. They’re frequently seen close to shore and are known for their tri-colored pattern, relatively small size at 5-6 feet and ability to spin while leaping in the air.
The NOAA proposal for spinner dolphins is based on studies that found increased human activity in dolphin resting habitats disrupts resting behavior and may be contributing to displacement of dolphins. Hawaiian spinner dolphins are nocturnal, hunting at night and coming into shallow, near-shore waters to rest during the day.
“NOAA is currently evaluating management options for the protection of spinner dolphins in Hawaii,” said Lars Bejder, PhD, an associate researcher at UH-Manoa’s and co-author of the study. “This is particularly important given that recent research has identified that spinner dolphins in resting bays off the Kona coast have the highest exposure rates to human activities anywhere in the world. High exposure rates to humans within critical habitats is cause for concern for the long-term viability of the dolphins and hence the dolphin-tourism industry. It is paramount that appropriate regulations are implemented to ensure long-term sustainability.”
Opponents say more studies are needed to make a conclusion. Among the issues pointed out over there years is that a often referenced 2018 study by Julian Tyne that found despite the high levels of interaction, no affect on dolphin resting behavior was observed.