OTLEY, H.M. 2005. Nature-based tourism: experiences at the Volunteer Point penguin colony in the Falkland Islands. Marine Ornithology 33: 181-187.

A study was conducted of nature-based tourism, including visitor numbers and use of six visitor attractions, at Volunteer Point, the site of the largest King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus colony in the Falkland Islands, from November 2001 to March 2002. One thousand and seventy people, 57% of whom were overseas tourists, 24% local residents of the islands and 19% from the British military base, visited Volunteer Point, suggesting it is one of the key land-based sites in the archipelago. Overseas tourists generally stayed for more than three hours at Volunteer Point, whereas island residents and military personnel remained for less than two hours. All visitors spent time at the King Penguin colony, with a mean visit duration of 63 minutes, whereas the 50% of visitors who visited the Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua colony stayed for only a mean duration of 19 minutes. The penguin colonies at Volunteer Point received less visitor exposure in terms of visitor person-hours compared to a penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula. Volunteer Beach was the second most popular attraction at Volunteer Point. The popularity of non-wildlife attractions highlights that visitor management needs to incorporate the entire site and not just wildlife colonies. The pattern of visitor presence was predictable, which may have allowed the penguins to become accustomed to human presence. Less than 20% of Gentoo, King and Magellanic Spheniscus magellanicus Penguins commuting between the beach and colony areas during daylight hours did so during the hours of the day when the majority of visitors was present.

Key words: Falkland Islands, penguins, breeding success, nature-based tourism, visitor behaviour