Sexy Beasts and Devoted Mums: Narrating Nature through Dolphin Tourism

Abstract

This paper focuses upon a growing activity within New Zealand's ecotourism market: viewing and swimming with dolphins. Drawing on poststructuralist feminist theory we examine some of the ways in which New Zealand dolphin tour operators and others represent dolphins in relation to sex and gender. Three sets of data inform this research: (1) promotional materials, such as postcards, brochures, Internet websites, and advertising; (2) participant-observation on dolphin swim tours; and (3) interviews with tour operators. We argue that dolphins are constructed paradoxically as sexually polyamorous and promiscuous—sexy beasts— and as loving and maternal—devoted mums. These seemingly contradictory narratives about dolphins and nature perform different functions. The discourse of dolphins as sexy beasts can be read as an attempt by tour operators to use sex to enhance the quality of a product. Tourists are offered an opportunity to experience ‘wild nature’ as sexualized ‘other’. The discourse of dolphins as devoted mums can be read as an attempt by tour operators to anthropomorphize dolphins and offers tourists an opportunity to experience ‘domestic nature’. Fostering a connection between humans and dolphins helps to highlight the need for environmental protection to ensure the continuation of the species and ‘tourist dollars’.