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This paper investigates the different sources of information used by tourists to learn about a particular wildlife tourism activity, specifically, whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia. The findings from this research concur with previous studies of wildlife tourism showing that wildlife tourism operations are reliant on more informal and general forms of promotion, in particular word of mouth and guide books. Conversely, more deliberate marketing mechanisms, such as the internet and documentaries, are not extensively utilised. To disaggregate consumer preferences for various information sources, this article segments the population into more homogenous groups, thereby demonstrating distinct differences in the choice of information source based on the participants' normal place of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this paper, we examine the expenditure of whale shark tour participants at Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia; the location of the world's first whale shark tourism industry, established in 1989. We demonstrate that in 2006, participants' expenditure in the region was $894 per trip, total expenditure was $6.0 million (all figures are in Australian dollars), and between $2.4 and $4.6 million would have been lost to the region if whale shark tourism did not exist. Our measure of participants' expenditure is substantially lower than the calculation of $2370 per participant from a previous study of whale shark tourists using data collected in 1995. We argue that this is consistent with a change in the types of wildlife tourists that participate in an activity as the industry reaches the point of consolidation. Our results also suggest that using old data to forecast wildlife tourists' expenditure needs to take into account the industry's stage of development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract: Sensor types in animal-attached tags (e.g. accelerometers, speed sensors and compasses) now often require devices to be solidly attached to an animals’ body, which would preclude their use on many large species of shark where current attachment systems are based on tethers. A new method of attaching motion-sensitive tags securely to large sharks is presented which allows free-swimming animals to be equipped without any form of restraint. The system was tested on 11 free-swimming whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Devices were placed on one of two elongated arms emanating from a torsion spring which acted to force the arms together. The system was clamped to the second dorsal fin using a specially designed tagging-gun operated manually by a snorkeller. Each arm was equipped with two 1.5cm-long spikes to ensure stable, firm attachment to the fin. Data from the deployments showed that response to the tagging event varied between individuals, with some sharks showing no obvious reaction, while others exhibited a substantial reaction. Clamps remained stable on the sharks throughout the entire duration of all trials. The whole system was fitted with a corroding magnesium link to ensure that the clamp would release from the shark within weeks of deployment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier] more...

Whale shark tourism is an icon industry in Western Australia and a prominent example of successful ecotourism. In 2006, whale shark tour participants spent $6.0 million in the Ningaloo Coast region of Western Australia and added between $2.4 million and $4.6 million to the regional economy in direct expenditure. However, to date no research has been conducted on the predictors of whale shark tour participants' expenditure. In this article, we assess the importance of visitor expenditure for ecotourism, assess the predictors of the expenditure of whale shark tour participants and discuss how this information can contribute towards ecotourism goals. The data analysed here were collected through a survey distributed to participants between April and June 2006. We assess a range of variables for their relationship to individual expenditure per trip and determine that the duration of stay, household income, age, staying in a hotel, trip motivation and being from North America or Southeast Asia positively correlate with individual expenditure per trip. Group size and originating from Germany or the United Kingdom and Ireland negatively correlate with expenditure. In addition to identifying future steps, we also discuss the relevance of our finding that more motivated participants have a higher expenditure for ecotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...