Ecotourism effects on Magellanic Penguins at San Lorenzo colony, Peninsula Valdés, Argentina

VILLANUEVA, M. C.; WALKER, B.; BERTELLOTTI, M.

Boston, USA

Conferencia; 7th International Penguin Conference; 2010

The continuous increase of tourist visitation in penguin breeding colonies has generated the need of monitoring the potential negative effects of tourism in order to develop the industry in a sustainable way. The overall objective of our research was to study if tourism had an impact on the Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) breeding at the San Lorenzo colony, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina. We measured the effects of tourist visitation on biological and physiological parameters along four breeding seasons by comparing visited areas with undisturbed ones. We studied 1) the effects of the visits on the breeding success of the birds; 2) the effects of the visits in the growth rate of the chicks; 3) the effects of the visits on the behavior; and 4) the physiological consequences of living in tourist visited areas (stress hormones and heart rate). We found no differences in breeding success or growth of chicks between areas. Penguins in the undisturbed areas reacted at greater distances than penguins in the tourist area. The baseline and the integrated corticosterone levels were similar between areas. There was no relationship between heart rate and group size, however there was a great variation among individuals, so further analysis must be done. So far, we have not seen obvious adverse effects on the penguin in the short term.