In the Water with White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias): Participants’ Beliefs toward Cage-diving in Australia

Kirin Apps, Kay Dimmock, David Lloyd, Charles Huveneers

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    18 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) cage-diving tourism is a controversial activity that provokes emotional and often opposing points of view. With increasing demand for shark tourism since the 1990s, the un- derlying determinants driving this growth in participation remain unclear. This paper adopts a qualitative approach to investigate beliefs underlying tourists’ choice to observe white sharks while cage-diving at the Neptune Islands, South Australia. Elicitation surveys gathered responses from a sample (n = 86) of cage-diving participants. Content analysis of the responses revealed the decision to cage-dive with white sharks is driven by factors including education and the perceived naturalness of the experience. The findings of this study indicate an opportunity for cage-dive operators to pro- vide in situ education and interpretation with potential for increased tourist satisfaction and shark conservation outcomes.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)231-245
    Number of pages15
    JournalAnthrozoos
    Volume29
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 3 May 2016

    Keywords

    • education
    • interpretation
    • marine wildlife
    • shark tourism
    • Theory of Planned Behavior

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