Encounters with Wild, Ecotour, and Captive Marine Mammals: What Do They Tell Us About Human Well-Being and Environmental Behavior?

Abstract

Nature recreation can be beneficial for human health and well-being, and this article invites discussion about whether environmental behavior nature contact can influence nature contact. As human life becomes more urbanized, people interact less closely with nature, and nature connections are weakened. Tourism provides an opportunity to enhance nature contact, and hence nature connection, and may motivate proenvironmental behavior. This study uses the R statistical package to analyze questionnaire data from 679 participants who have encountered marine mammals in the wild, as part of an ecotour, and in captive settings. It considers the questions: Does a connection to nature mediate the role between nature contact and well-being? Do marine mammal experiences specifically contribute to human well-being and environmental behavior? The role of nature connection as a mediator between nature contact and well-being is described in a structural equation model. Marine mammal experiences are shown to be significantly and positively related to human well-being (three-way ANOVA) and environmental behavior (Kruskal–Wallis H test). We conclude that nature connectedness mediates the effect of nature contact on well-being, and marine mammal experiences have an effect on well-being and environmental behavior. This study adds to research on cetacean experiences by including all marine mammals across different experience types. The results assist identify paths through which recreation time may achieve a two-way benefit of well-being and environmental behavior.