Surveying Marine Megafauna in Timor–Leste - Identifying Marine Ecotourism Opportunities
Project Goal & Outline
Marine megafauna tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of ecotourism in the world with the potential to provide significant economic benefits and livelihoods to local economies in developing countries, where few alternative sources of income exist. If megafauna aggregations can be identified within easy access of the shore of Timor–Leste, this may provide an opportunity for the development of a significant regional, ecotourism industry for this fledgling nation.
The project includes:
- Monthly aerial surveys of the coastal waters off Timor-Leste to identify potential marine megafauna, including whales, dolphins, dugongs, crocodiles, sharks, rays, turtles and turtle nesting;
- Recording local knowledge of megafauna through interviews at local markets and coastal villages;
- Field ground-truthing and identification of marine megafauna species using boats and beach inspections (turtle nesting); and
- Training of Timor-Leste government researchers and staff in marine wildlife identification, aerial and boat survey techniques and data analyses.
Project Participants
Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport (NRETAS) Ray Chatto, Dr Kiki Dethmers, Dr Scott Whiting and Professor Karen Edyvane, Ministry of Forestry & Fisheries (Timor-Leste), Celestino Barreto de Cunha and Jose Monteiro and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Dr Mark Meekan.
Project Background
Marine megafauna tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of ecotourism in the world and includes passive activities such whale or dolphin watching, to more energetic activities, such as snorkelling with whale sharks to cage diving with white sharks.
The economic value and potential of marine megafauna tourism is immense. In 2000, whale watching alone involved 87 countries, 9 million participants and generated an income of more than one billion dollars to whale watcher operators and supporting infrastructure (such as accommodation, restaurants and souvenirs) (Hoyt 2001).
Similarly whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia over a season of three to four months generates in the order of $20 million for the Ningaloo region and has acted as a drawcard that has facilitated the development of other related industries such as turtle and whale watching.
However, some of the fastest growing marine megafauna industries have been located in developing countries, such as in small Pacific Island countries that have only very limited infrastructure and tourism facilities, such as Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. In these regions, megafauna tourism has provided significant flow-on effects to local economies where few alternative sources of income exist.
The ocean current systems that surround Timor Leste are being increasingly recognised as a major migratory pathway for many species of marine megafauna including cetaceans, sharks and other fishes. Megafauna assemblages are very diverse, with over a third of all known whale and dolphin species found in the region. Additionally, other types of megafauna such as whale sharks and manta rays are also known to inhabit the region. Whale sharks, orcas and mantas have been sighted during the months of August to November, and groups of migrating whales and dolphins are regularly seen in the deep waters off Timor. The approach of megafauna close to the coast of Timor is facilitated by the very deep (3 kilometre) waters just offshore and the narrow fringing reef lining the coast.
If megafauna aggregations can be identified within easy access of the shore of Timor-Leste then this may provide an opportunity and basis for the development of a regional, ecotourism industry. One of the simplest and most efficient means to locate marine megafauna is by aerial survey although this needs to be supported by ‘on-the-ground’ field surveys to identify species, nesting abundance (turtles) and potential ecotourism sites.
