Experienced photographer’s behaviour during commercial swim-with-wildlife tours: comparative case studies of three operations in the South Pacific

Capturing images has long been recognized as influential in wildlife tourism experiences. With the ubiquity of Web 2.0 in people’s everyday lives, images can now be shared instantaneously via social media platforms. The quest for ‘photo-trophies’ that can be liked, shared and reproduced may influence how tourists behave around wildlife. Trends such as the ‘wildlife selfie’, which requires closeness to unpredictable animal species, is gaining popularity and may contribute to harassment of wildlife. This paper reports on qualitative research involving tour providers offering in-water encounters with marine wildlife and their experiences of the influence of social media on their clients’ behaviour. Semi-structured interviews with operators at three case study sites in the South Pacific revealed a consistent theme of ‘pushy’ behaviour displayed by skilled wildlife photographers and social media ‘influencers’. Such behaviour fosters the potential for wildlife harassment and provoking animal behaviour that could pose hazard for people. The operators interviewed identified professional wildlife photographers and influencers being most likely to ignore safety instructions and guidelines. The findings illustrate that investigating operator-client relationships from the perspective of the operator can provide important insights into tourist behaviour. Inappropriate or ignorant conduct can then be targeted through specific communication and management strategies.