From Basil Stewart
Is it possible to fall in love with a place so profoundly that you vow never to return? For me, the answer is yes.
Two days after returning from a tour of Antarctica I read your article about the adverse impact of ecotourism on wildlife (6 March, p 6). I was relieved to see that this problem has been recognised.
Prior to my trip I had believed that ecotourism placed very little pressure on wildlife. From first-hand experience I can now say emphatically that this is not so. I saw (and videotaped) significant numbers of my fellow tourists blatantly flouting the rules about approaching penguins, seals and other wildlife. Not only did they approach close enough to, in one case, touch the beak of a moulting penguin, some actively pursued these creatures across the snow, causing them evident distress.
In extreme climates such as Antarctica animals need to conserve every scrap of energy. Even taking a few steps sideways to avoid a persistent photographer could make the difference between life and death.
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I was horrified by the behaviour of selfish tourists, by the scum of oil spread on the pristine waters by the inflatable boats we were ferried around in, and by the expulsion of bilge water from our ship into the Southern Ocean.
Furthermore, on my tour at least, the rules for washing boots after every landing at a penguin colony were not followed properly. There were too few hoses available (two amongst 100 tourists), the procedure was not monitored, many people were confused about how to go about it, and on countless occasions those who wanted to get out of the cold and into their warm cabins as quickly as possible skipped the queues for boot-washing altogether. The cleansing of boots is intended to prevent cross-contamination between colonies.
Every summer 10,000 tourists pass through Antarctica. Far from being lonely and desolate, the place is alive with ships. I would guess that my recent trip has shown me an Antarctica that may not exist for very much longer. With tourism on the increase, the wildlife is surely doomed.
Brighton, Victoria, Australia
