Wildlife tourism: Underwater behavioral responses of South American sea lions to swimmers

The aim of the present study was to describe the type of interaction between swimmers and sea lions, during tourist trips, at a small colony in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Particularly we explored if sea lions would show agonistic behaviors towards people, or behaviors that potentially poses a danger, and to detect which interaction may produce such behavior. Underwater sea lions behavior was recorded by videotapes, and significant behavioral sequences were determined by two-event sequences analysis. During the resting period, sea lions swim around and look at the swimmer most of the time, and vice versa. During the pupping period, sea lions breathe more frequently during these behavioral sequences. During both seasons, the sequences including bites as the target behavior were significant (Adjusted residuals z-scores larger than 1.96 at the p < 0.05 level). These sequences consisted mainly in a sea lion allowing a swimmer to touch it and then biting him/her and a sea lion allowing a swimmer to touch it and then going away. Although these bites did not finished in cutting wounds, they represent potential risk of injuries. These results support the recommendation of no allowance of physical contact, or at least no looking for physical contact actively.