With a last look, I pulled myself up the boat ladder, breathless-just in time for the captain to start the engine and get us into position to do it all over again. For a moment, we were like time travelers on conveyor belts flowing in opposite directions through the recesses of space floating away into the open sea, its body resembled a marine Milky Way. Huffing through my snorkel, I stopped kicking, letting the entire length of the shark pass me by. It's one thing to absorb whale shark facts from the comfort of a boat-and another thing entirely to find yourself finning in the creature’s realm as it levitates up from the seafloor like a UFO, moving its tail slowly but surely from side to side like a Jurassic creature on a mission.įor a while, the shark’s enormous head-the width of a piano keyboard, and covered in white flecks like a constellation-and mine were side by side. The help of thousands of citizen scientists gives him a better chance of making that possible.When the 20-foot-long juvenile whale shark came cruising into view at a steady clip, I realized I’d have to kick my hardest to keep up. Protecting their breeding grounds is the “one big thing” needed to save the species in the long run, he says. ![]() He’s seeking what he calls “the Holy Grail” – finding out where the whale sharks go to mate. Norman hopes to see more data collection around the world, plugging information gaps and strengthening conservation efforts. The crowding from tourist activity and feeding can also lead to coral reef degradation.īut where whale shark tourism is practiced responsibly, it can help save the species. This can change the sharks’ diving patterns and metabolism, while a high level of scarring indicates increased boat strikes. Whale sharks in the Philippines are routinely provided with food to attract them to places where visitors can easily see them. This can cause stress for the animals, while boat collision injuries can impact their development and ability to travel long distances. In the Maldives, whale sharks are a popular attraction but government guidelines designed to protect the sharks from harassment are frequently breached. However, regulation and enforcement are weaker in other places. Swimming with manta rays could help save them The algorithm identifies the shark by searching the database for a matching pattern. Images submitted to The Wildbook for Whale Sharks are analysed by an algorithm that scans the spots and stripes on the animal’s skin, which are as unique as a human fingerprint, says Norman. Since that first encounter, Norman has swum with whale sharks on thousands of occasions – and says he still gets a buzz out of it every time. ![]() “I see him nearly every year and … I think ‘G’day mate, how you goin’?” Read: She filmed sharks for ‘Jaws’ - then she dedicated her life to protecting themĪ slow swimmer, Stumpy is relatively easy to keep up with, says Norman. The library, later operated by Norman’s conservation organization ECOCEAN, became the foundation of The Wildbook for Whale Sharks. That whale shark – nicknamed Stumpy because of his deformed tail – was the first entry in a photo-identification library that Norman created in 1995. Marine biologist Brad Norman photographing a whale shark. “It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had,” he recalls. He first swam with a whale shark in the turquoise waters of Ningaloo reef on Western Australia’s northern coast. Norman has been studying these charismatic creatures for over 25 years. ![]() Feeding on plankton and tiny marine organisms, they cruise at a leisurely maximum of three miles per hour, allowing snorkelers and divers to get up close. Today, the database holds over 70,000 submissions from more than 50 countries – making it one of the biggest crowd-sourced conservation projects in the world.ĭespite their imposing size – whale sharks can grow up to 20 meters (65 feet) long – these gentle giants don’t pose a danger to swimmers. Members of the public, scientists and whale shark tour operators around the world contribute photos of whale sharks to the system, which uses NASA technology to map their locations and track their movements. To help protect the species, Australian marine biologist Brad Norman co-founded The Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a photo identification database that went online in 2003. The world's biggest fish, whale sharks are endangered by human activity, including fishing, oil and gas drilling and climate change.
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