#biteme: Considering the Potential Influence of Social Media on In-Water Encounters with Marine Wildlife

Abstract

Over the past three decades, interacting with wildlife as a tourism activity has grown significantly and has transformed from a relatively rare experience into a mainstream tourism product. Tourism opportunities to watch, photograph and otherwise interact with animals in their natural environment have grown to include a range of species and settings, including in the sea. Close encounters with marine wildlife are facilitated by a wide range of commercial operators, and many include and promote a strong adventure component. This paper provides a consideration of the issues of risk and the emerging role of the use of social media in marine wildlife tourism experiences. While the concept of ecotourism has been widely explored in wildlife tourism research, the inherited risk involved in these activities has received little attention. This is particularly the case regarding interactions with potentially dangerous wildlife in open-water environments. This aspect warrants exploration in the context of the growth of wildlife photography/videography and sharing via social media platforms, which frequently display close encounters with animals in dangerous scenarios for both people and wildlife involved.

Keep your distance: Using Instagram posts to evaluate the risk of anthroponotic disease transmission in gorilla ecotourism

“…This situation also forces us to question our use of and the impacts of social media, particularly in relation to wildlife, where it can be seen as a double‐edge sword (Kitson & Nekaris, 2020; Liang et al., 2020; Osterberg & Nekaris, 2015). Although this use promotes conservation awareness, it also pushes us to get closer to wildlife to get the perfect shot, normalising abnormally close distances to wild animals (Lenzi et al., 2020; Pagel et al., 2020). Social media could be used to raise public awareness; not only regarding the potential effects of unsustainable ecotourism but also concerning the effects of our choices when uploading content on social networking sites.…”

“…The like currency generated from such photos also forms the basis of the trend for tourism selfies and can be an incentive to visit attractions with animals. Wildlife selfies—that is, when people take photos of themselves with wild animals—have become highly popular on the Internet, regardless of the negative impacts and risks often associated with them (Carder et al., 2018; D'Cruze et al., 2017; Ellenberg, 2017; Hasanah Abd Mutalib, 2018; Kitson & Nekaris, 2020; Pagel et al., 2020; Pearce & Moscardo, 2015). While this issue is not entirely new (Sontag (1977) already highlighted how intrusive tourists' photography can be for the visited environment and its inhabitants), the latest technological advances have multiplied these effects.…”

“…The ensuing massive numbers of images depicting close interactions with wild animals that are published on SNS such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have a great influence on their audience, tourists' actions and decisions (Spradlin et al., 2001). It can push people into risky behaviours to reproduce what they have seen, with the images that drew them to the location in the first place sometimes creating unrealistic expectations (Pagel et al., 2020). These selfies require a certain proximity between tourists and wildlife and are therefore inextricably linked to issues of anthroponotic disease transmission.…”

“…It can push people into risky behaviours to reproduce what they have seen, with the images that drew them to the location in the first place sometimes creating unrealistic expectations (Pagel et al, 2020). These selfies require a certain proximity between tourists and wildlife and are therefore inextricably linked to issues of anthroponotic disease transmission.…”

Trials and Tribulations: The Conservation Implications of an Orca Surviving a Stranding and Boat Strike. A Case Study

“…" "Wildlife-selfies", as one of the latest trends in social media, may form unrealistic expectations of wildlife encounters and simultaneously put humans and animals at risk, for example through defensive behaviour expressed by wildlife and inappropriate behaviour shown by tourists." (Pagel et al, 2020).…”