Hi Monika, Lovely to hear from you and thanks for reading. I’m glad to hear that you’ve only been involved with responsible activities!

On whale watching, I’ve also never been whale watching and I have no intention to go. I’ve also heard that it can be done in a responsible way however I’ve never had any reliable science-backed information to back that up. The reports I have read that have been conducted by scientists, marine biologists and animal welfare activists have all claimed that whale watching does disturb the whales even if it’s from far away. This is due to the increase in the number of boats entering their areas and interrupting their journey.

I recently had a very terrible experience with dolphin watching in Bocas del Toro (I have a post on this) and my extra research from that showed that dolphins can really, really suffer from boats being nearby and I’m sure that the situation with whales can be very similar. Some comments on that piece also came from readers who felt they had partook in a responsible dolphin activity that respected the animals. I think that this is not possible. My personal opinion is that the animals should be watched only from the shoreline, but this is of course down to each individual to research and make their own informed decision.

I would really recommend Right Tourism as a great source for further reading on related topics: http://right-tourism.com/issues/marine-activities/
You can also email the team specifically to enquire about whale watching activities. They are always very helpful and happy to respond to emails. If you do, I’d be very interested in their reply so do let me know!

Hi Guy! Yes, though the last one discusses a whole range of sustainable travel points. I agree too, I don’t know when this ostrich and elephant riding became such a norm for people, it really is very upsetting and such a strange leap that people have made. I think none of the things you point out are natural. If animals are doing anything other than running around in the wild, in their natural habitat, then in my opinion it’s not natural. And especially any activity where those animals are within close proximity to humans.

Certainly nature reserve and sanctuaries are doing great things to protect and conserve wildlife, and thought I am personally not a fan of zoos, I’m sure that some of them are also dong a great job. Animals being bred in captivity and those who were domesticated as pets or seriously injured and are unable to be released back into the wild really rely on the good work of people in those places.

And yes, I agree with you.

Hi Charlie and Shing,

This is most certainly a highly relevant and interesting area. All your articles selected have the theme of how badly humans treat many animals in the interest of tourism and human pleasure. I mean, since when did riding an ostrich become as natural as riding a horse or a motor bike? It doesn’t make sense.

As I travel more I feel more confident asking the awkward questions. Recently at a temple in India I inquired if an elephant giving blessings (by a tap on your head with it’s trunk) was fairly treated? My guide, who was actually a colleague rather than a tour guide assured me that it was. Yet when I went up for the elephant blessing I could see the animal was chained up and probably forcibly trained to perform this act. I’m not sure if that is true but I have my concerns.

I often see pictures of tourists with drugged tigers and so on. Is this really natural?

Earlier this year I was at the Steve Irwin Zoo just outside Brisbane and saw that you could book a walk with a tiger cub. Now since it was a cub it was less aggressive and more playful. From observing then watching zoo keepers bond with the tigers through play I could see what appeared to be a natural and mutually agreeable situation. With it being in such a conscientious zoo as well I felt more comfortable with the situation.

Ultimately, tourist spots do unnatural things for money. If people don’t pay to go and see it then it will stop. Simple supply and demand.

I’ve also heard about the sanctuaries and elephant parks that offer this, though I’m personally still sceptical, and I think you’re right about the $$$. I’ve heard that there have also been problems with businesses just rebranding themselves as “ethical elephant sanctuaries,” changing their logo and whatever, but not actually improving the treatment of their animals. I think that with these kind of issues it’s also up to the individual to decide whether they really want to jump on the back of an elephant, irrelevant of what the person selling it to them says. From my own point of view, I would much rather be watching an elephant living it’s life in the wild from a distance than sitting on its back.

Unfortunately ostrich riding seems increasingly popular and I’m not sure that identifying whether the bird is really built for the activity is the first thought on most people’s minds. I think that some people believe that if something is offered as an activity then it must be okay – unfortunately, not the case, of course.

Thanks for stopping by and reading, Tom :)

Interesting! I didn’t know you had a piece on bullfighting – do you have the link? I’d be very interested to read your thoughts. Sad to hear about G+ followers, but equally I think discussing these issues are much more important than followers who might be lost. I wondered whether I would lose readers by writing about topics like this but I decided I would rather write about topics that matter to me and risk losing followers than the other way around at the end of the day.

Of course, Sarah, it’s a well-written piece on a very important topic! Thanks for stopping by =)