Human dimensions of whale shark provisioning in Oslob, Philippines

Background Whale shark tourism can provide an incentive to protect whale sharks and their habitats by making them worth more alive than dead. However, the sustainability of these tourism activities is critical to the long-term success of this approach. Whale shark tourism in Oslob is one of only two places in the world where tour operators feed whale sharks to facilitate tourist interactions. To date, no comprehensive studies have assessed tourists' attitudes towards whale shark provisioning. This study assesses tourists' support for whale shark provisioning, as well as their satisfaction with the tour experience in Oslob. Approach TripAdvisor comments of the Oslob whale shark watching experience (n=216) were thematically coded and analysed in NViVO 10. Tourist surveys were collected during the 2014 whale shark watching season in Oslob (n=761) in order to measure attitudes towards interactions with whale sharks. Survey results were coded and analysed in SPSS Version 21. Results TripAdvisor analysis identi...