Whale watching and sustainable ecotourism in the Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama

Abstract

An understanding of the adaptive changes and interconnections between human wellbeing and animal population viability is critical for establishing effective wildlife conservation strategies. Whale watching in Panama is a growing industry, but enforcement of vessel regulations remains weak. In this study, we identified the extent to which whale watching activities affect the behaviors of humpback whales in the protected area of Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama. We found that the average number of direction changes and dive time exhibited by whales, potential indicators of stress, were significantly higher when whale watching boats approached closer than permitted, and after pandemic-related travel restrictions resulted in lower vessel traffic in 2020 and 2021. Our results suggest that increases in both the number of direction changes and dive time would result from increased numbers of whale-watching boats, which could pose challenges to the long-term well-being of humpback whales. The findings in this study can be used to identify the potential behavioral, ecological, and social intersections within this biosocial system, that can facilitate the identification of intervention methods to more sustainably manage whale watching in Panama and better conserve both wildlife and human wellbeing.