Comportamento do boto-cinza, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénédén) (Cetacea, Delphinidae) na presença de barcos de turismo na Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Abstract

Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 23 (3): 661-666, setembro, 2006Entre as mais variadas modalidades de ecoturismo, um deles, voltado para avistagem de mamíferos aquáticos, principalmente golfinhos e baleias, têm mostrado grande potencial de crescimento. O Comitê Científico da International Whaling Comission (IWC) considerando o desenvolvimento acelerado do turismo de observação de baleias e golfinhos e seu inegável benefício econômico (WILLIAMS et al. 2002), desenvolveu diretrizes para sua regulação estabelecendo algumas prioridades, de modo que ao mesmo tempo tem encorajado o adiantado desenvolvimento do turismo de observação, bem como o uso sustentável desses recursos. Na Escócia, no estuário de Morey Firth, as interações dos barcos de turismo com o golfinho nariz-de-garrafa, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) azil. azil. The ever-increasing tourist industry has extended to the aquatic environments, thus making the aquatic mammals susceptible to interactions with humans. Dolphin watching tourism has developed to a great extent in the Pipa Beach, Rio Grande do Norte, consequently the number of dolphin-watching boats operating in this area has increased. In the present study the behavioral alterations of Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénédén, 1864) caused by the presence of these boats were verified. Behavioral registers of S. guianensis were compiled from a fixed point on the cliffs close to the study area. The observations were effected when there were no boats, in the presence of boats and after the departure of boats. The results show that type of approach by the dolphin watching boats had a major influence on the behavior of the dolphins, especially so in the groups with calves. The short term impacts were rather discrete, however, new methods should be applied in order to verify the long term impacts on the dolphins. KEY WORDS. Aquatic mammals; behavior; estuarine dolphin; watching tourism. RESUMO. A crescente indústria do turismo tem se estendido ao ambiente aquático, deste modo tornando os mamíferos aquáticos suscetíveis a interações com humanos. O turismo de observação de golfinhos na praia de Pipa litoral sul do Rio Grande do Norte, tem se desenvolvido aumentando o número de barcos de observação de golfinhos operando nesta área. No presente estudo alterações comportamentais do Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénédén, 1864) causado pela presença destes barcos foi verificada. Registros comportamentais de S. guianensis foram compilados de um ponto fixo do alto de uma falésia próxima à área de estudo. As observações foram realizadas quando não havia barcos, na presença de barcos e após a saída dos barcos. Os resultados mostraram que o tipo de aproximação praticado pelos barcos de observação de golfinhos tinha maior influência no comportamento dos animais, especialmente em grupos com filhotes. Os impactos de curto prazo foram mais discretos, no entanto, novos métodos devem ser aplicados no sentido de verificar impactos de longo prazo no comportamento dos golfinhos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE. Boto-cinza; comportamento; mamíferos aquát...

Monitoring tourism schooners observing estuarine dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in the Estuarine Complex of Cananéia, south‐east Brazil

“…No absence of a reaction was seen in any of the meetings where the boat got too close; the animals reacted by, principally, trying to withdraw from the boat. Withdrawing reactions during interaction with the boats were also observed for the estuarine dolphins at the Curral Beach (RN) and were interpreted as being a defence behaviour, through which the animals seek protection, especially for the young, by moving far away (Santos-Jr et al, 2006). This same understanding can also be applied to the animals studied here.…”

“…Possible impacts from estuarine dolphin watching have already been studied at the Pipa beach (Rio Grande do Norte State) on the north-east Brazilian coast (Valle and Melo, 2006;Santos-Jr et al, 2006), who verified that the animals changed their behaviour when boats approached. In the EPA (Environment Protection Area) of Anhatomirim (Santa Catarina State, south of Brazil), the number of tourists looking for schooner trips grew more than 140% from 1993 to 2001 (Mori, 2002), the situation is compounded by the fact that only 29% of this EPA, created in 1992, is today used by the dolphins and 58% of the area occupied by these animals is outside the delimited area (Wedekin et al, 2002).…”

Surface patterns of Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae) in the presence of boats in Port of Malhado, Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil

“…These authors suggested that the reactions were neutral because the speed and direction of the boats were constant. All reports of S. guianensis interactions and observations from tourist boats reported negative reactions by the dolphins (Santos Jr. et al, 2006;Valle & Melo, 2006;Pereira et al, 2007;Tosi & Ferreira, 2008).…”

“…Research on the interaction between S. guianensis and boats, has been performed along the Brazilian coast (Santos-Jr. et al, 2006;Valle & Melo, 2006;Pereira et al, 2007;Araújo et al, 2008;Carrera et al, 2008;Filla et al, 2008;Tosi & Ferreira, 2008).…”

A historical perspective on the life cycle of a tourist activity: dolphin watching in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago

“…Such environments provide sightings of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Abrolhos Marine National Park (State of Bahia); bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Laguna (State of Santa Catarina); right whale (Eubalaena australis) in southern parts of the State of Santa Catarina; Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) in Anhatomirim Environmental Protection Area (APA) (State of Santa Catarina), and the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) in Fernando de Noronha (FN) archipelago (State of Pernambuco). Nowadays, those are still the primary regions for watching activity in the country, adding the current watching tourism of Inia geoffrensis in Novo Airão in the Amazon Basin (State of Amazonas) (Romagnoli et al 2011) and Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) in Pipa Beach (State of Rio Grande do Norte) (SantosJr. et al, 2006).…”