Behavioural responses of Cape Fur seals (arctocephalus pusillus) to swim-with-seal tourism activities in the Robberg Marine Protected area in South Africa

Information regarding swim-with-seal (SWS) activities and their impacts on Cape fur seals is limited. The study aimed to assess the the impacts of SWS tourism on the behaviour of seals at the seal colony in the Robberg MPA. This was conducted through a modified Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) behavioural study designed for simultaneous observations of Impact and Control areas (site factor) Before, During and After SWS activities (phase factor). Observations were carried out from an elevation at distances from the experimental sites that precluded observer impacts, with sequential photography of the colony providing the basis for enumerating seals in different behavioural categories and comparing these between sites and between phases, as well as interactive effects of site and phase. Behavioural categories included “primary” behavioural categories (lying down, sitting, moving) and “secondary” behavioural categories (grooming, nourishing, interacting, alertness) that seals within one of the primary categories could be secondarily engaged with.

Ethics reference number: 215239547/10/2020