Kate’s always enjoyed experiencing nature in all its forms and thinks animal encounters are a special kind of magic. But a recent trip to WA had her asking… is it possible for any animal tourism to be completely okay?

The quokka is shivering under our table. It’s hobbled over from a nearby group of tourists who have been feeding it fruit and croissants, despite numerous signs around the island explicitly stating that feeding wildlife is prohibited.

Quivering turns to convulsing, and it promptly vomits everywhere. It hops away, only to be bombarded by a new group of people crouching down next to it for a famous quokka selfie.

I want to shoo everyone away, the poor thing, but I too had just taken a quokka photo moments earlier.

‘I feel gross’, I tell my husband, disappointed so far in our visit to Perth’s famous Rottnest Island.

‘Yeah, me too’, he agrees.

 

Maybe these guys need a rest from the camera

 

It’s a weird vibe, a kind of juxtaposition I’m wrapping my head around.

Visitors love seeing the quokkas, remarking on their cuteness, yet many show little regard for their actual wellbeing.

There’s litter on the ground, people patting the animals on the head and feeding them human food.

I’ve always been pretty vigilant with any kind of wildlife tourism – no feeding, no touching. But this trip got me thinking… Can any kind of tourism involving wildlife ever be truly ethical?

Winged Wonders

Later on our trip, we visited a birds of prey rescue centre, where the entry fee goes straight back into the rehabilitation efforts of the birds.

They’re completely not-for-profit, helping injured birds and releasing them back into the wild. They have a midday bird show, so we pay our fee and find our seat.

We watch Barn owls and Red-tailed black cockatoos soar over us. The crowd erupts in ooohs and aahhs. Our presenter cares deeply about her job; you can tell by the way she urges her audience to take extra caution while driving at night and warns us of the fatal side effects of rat poison on these beautiful birds.

I had no idea about first generation rat poisoning, and how it can be much safer for pets and owls, and I acknowledge the important role education and awareness plays in wildlife conservation. I’m no farmer though, and they’re the ones who need to hear this most.

The centre has enclosures for birds that have been rehabilitated but cannot be returned back into the wild, and they’re on display for visitors. As we wander past, I admire the work the centre is doing – education, rehabilitation; many of these birds would be dead without their help.

Still, seeing a glorious Wedge-tailed eagle in a small enclosure makes me feel a bit sad.

 

Glad this Wedgie is safe at least

Under the Sea

I’ve booked a snorkelling tour in the Ningaloo Gulf. I let the current gently drift me over this underwater paradise, spotting colourful fish and interesting shaped coral, mesmerised. Our guides are passionate about the ocean, and we chat about local conservation efforts in Exmouth.

We’re encouraged to use reef-safe sunscreen to help protect the ocean and are warned not to kick too violently, lest we damage the reef.

I feel I’ve hit a sweet spot with snorkelling.

 

All is well! Right?

 

We’ve arrived in kayaks, not a motor boat, and this feels like observation without interference. Exactly what being in the wild should be.

But of course, not everyone uses reef-safe sunscreen when they’re snorkelling, and I’ve often visited a beach only to see swirls of residue floating on the surface like an oil spill.

We can take steps to minimise our impact while snorkelling, which can help ensure our experiences in the water are done as ethically as possible.

 

Magnificent rays don’t need to swim through bad sunscreen

Closer to Home

Living in the Northern Rivers, I’m surrounded by nature and wildlife, so I bring my investigation closer to home. It’s whale season, and the gentle giants are making their gargantuan journey up the East Coast.

I’m not going to lie, prior to Covid, I’d hop on a whale boat every year. They’re my favourite animal, and seeing a tail flip up into the water before disappearing below is a thrill I can’t get enough of. Some people take drugs. I watch whales breach.

 

 

An Adventure Weekender in Kiama, photo by Jon Harris, whale, tail, ocean, calf

It’s a pretty impressive sight | @jonharris_photography

 

Byron Bay was once a big whaling station in the 1950s and 60s, but when numbers of whales in the wild dwindled to less than 5000, the industry soon collapsed in the mid-60s. Now there’s over 40,000 making their way up and down the coast, and tourists come out in the thousands each year to hop on a whale-watching tour.

There’s no feeding, no touching, and whale-watching boats must follow strict rules around approaching whales. I’ve always considered it an ethical form of animal tourism.

Yet a University of Queensland study showed that whales were less stressed during Covid, when there was less human activity in the water. I’m sad, but not surprised.

That’s not to say it’s exclusively whale-watching boats causing the animals distress – it’s all boating activity. But whale-watching boats usually get the closest, and while some companies adhere to the strict guidelines around animal welfare, I’ve unfortunately also been on a tour where those rules were disregarded.

So is ethical animal tourism about playing by the rules then?

 

Your Sunshine Coast Hit List, Jarrod Andrews, famil, queensland-13, humpback whale

What do you think about whale watching? | Jarrod Andrews

 

A whale-watching company here on the Far North Coast has a marine biologist on board each trip, which I think is very cool and a great way to combine education and awareness with the experience – a theme I keep coming back to in this journey to find answers.

The UQ study does make me think twice about getting into a boat, though. I’m so conflicted!

Kayaking with Dolphins

It’s my husband’s birthday, and I book a kayaking tour in Byron Bay. The website promises dolphins will be sighted, though given I spot them almost daily on my walk along the beach, I feel we’d be extremely unlucky to not find any.

There’s something about being out in a kayak, it feels like we’re earning our sightings. We paddle hard against the surf and wind, and my arms are aching. Our guide motions to us frantically – it’s not a dolphin he’s found, but a whale.

We motor on (so to speak). It’s just us, two kayaks bobbing up and down in the swell. We get close – but not too close – to the gentle giant. Our guide tells us to stop, and we watch in awe as the young male sprays water in the air. This was incredible enough, but the whale decided we were worth a closer look.

Within half an hour, we had five (!) Humpback whales surrounding us, playfully diving under kayaks and surfacing to spray water into the air. And we hadn’t moved an inch.

 

Dream scenario

 

Unlike boats that often plop you in front of a moving whale (which isn’t actually allowed) we just paddled into the vicinity, keeping a respectful distance. Our guide was strict on that. We chatted about respect in encounters like this, and he agreed it’s paramount.

The chat turns to swimming with whale experiences, which he intensely dislikes. I feel a pang of guilt. I’ve swam with whales down south – and the experience was horrible. Frantic, rushed, and left me feeling ick.

I’d gotten the feeling the operators cared about dollar signs, not whales.

Do we really need to swim with whales? Is it any different to snorkelling with turtles? Ask a group of people, and I imagine the answers would be varied.

Friends of the Koala

We’re lucky enough to have wild koalas in the Northern Rivers, including a colony in Goonellabah. It also happens to be the home of a koala rescue centre – the Friends of the Koala, which is run by volunteers who help rescue and rehabilitate injured koalas.

They run weekly tours, free of charge, from October to June, to educate visitors about the plight of koalas. They have one rule.

No one touches the koalas.

 

Koalas will get to keep hugging trees

 

Jen Ridolfi, who coordinates the volunteers at FoTK, says sometimes visitors are left disappointed with that rule, but that the focus for FoTK is the wellbeing of the koalas, not to tick off someone’s bucket list.

‘Some [people] are disappointed they can’t nurse a koala or get close to them. We don’t have koalas for the public as they are usually in rehabilitation to be returned to the wild’, she tells me.

Wildlife Interactions

Of course, plenty of zoos and wildlife centres offer wildlife interactions – from draping carpet pythons around your neck to giving koalas a cuddle. And if these animals aren’t destined for the wild, and it helps humans form a connection with animals (or even better, gets them to donate to the cause) – then do the ends justify the means?

I ponder this at the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (formerly Macadamia Castle). The place is plastered in posters soliciting donations.

 

In the gift shop

 

‘Every dollar spent at the Sanctuary is reinvested in the conservation, rehabilitation, and future of Australian Wildlife’ is their promise, and when I visit during the school holidays, there are kids everywhere taking part in a zookeeper school holiday program.

I take my infant son to the reptile show, and our guide introduces us to a Blue-tongued skink and a gorgeous Carpet python. We learn about their behaviour, their predators, and at the end we’re asked if we want to touch the snake.

I’m surrounded by primary school-aged children, and around me, hands shot up everywhere. I’m genuinely surprised.

While many people find snakes terrifying, these children didn’t show any fear. I hear mutters of ‘Wow’ and ‘Cool!’ around me.

Snakes are the coolest

 

You only need to see my local community Facebook page in summer to see what happens when adults are scared of snakes. I’ve seen many more photos of dead pythons than I’ve ever wanted to.

If children can learn to not fear snakes through education programs like these, and getting close to them helps them realise most snakes mean no harm, then is this type of animal tourism garnering some positive outcomes?

I let my son’s hand glide along the smooth scales of the Carpet python. I still don’t have answers, but I feel good about the next generation.

The Role of Education and Awareness

Jen agrees that education and awareness plays a big role in animal conservation.

‘Without education and awareness our koalas would be in more trouble than they are now’, she says, also pointing out that the general public has access to more resources where they can find out information.

‘Members of the public can phone our emergency numbers or ask questions via our website’, she tells me.

I think education is paramount when it comes to any kind of wildlife encounter, and should be on your non-negotiable checklist.

 

More tours that focus on conservation and not exploitation

 

Boats that dangle a chicken over a river to get crocodiles jumping?

Big no.

But an experience that focuses less on getting the perfect photo and more on getting people to care about animal conservation is a step in the right direction.

What makes animal tourism ethical?

At the end of this journey, I’m still not clear as to whether animal tourism can be truly free of any human interference. While I think dodgy animal tourism companies should be held accountable, I also think we have an individual responsibility.

Vet animal tourism companies before you book, choose experiences with education, donate to research and rehabilitation, and avoid anything that involves feeding animals.

As fellow WAE writer Lewis Burnett points out, there’s nothing quite like seeing animals up close in the wild. But it’s important to always have the wellbeing of the animals at the forefront of the experience.

And if you’re someone who really loves getting close to animals, why not combine that passion with volunteer work? WIRES is always looking for volunteers, and if you’re a Northern Rivers local, so are Friends of the Koala.

 

WIRES Wildlife Rescue NSW

Young Boobook 0wl found on the ground | WIRES

 

Sometimes, the best encounters are the ones you stumble upon in your own backyard. Some of our favourite moments in nature have been finding wild platypus in Goonellabah, Rainbow bee-eaters in Lennox Head, or watching rays float by our feet in Hamelin Bay.

Now my golden rule is ensuring the least amount of interference possible. No matter the activity, be it whale watching or bushwalking, ensure our presence doesn’t impact and change the animals’ behaviour in any way.

And genuinely asking ourselves, putting ego and bucket-lists aside…

Do I really need to do this?

 

Feature image by Marie-Laurence Paquette

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