Photo from whl.travel blog

Whale shark encounters happen throughout the year around the atolls of the Maldives, chiefly on the outer reef of the South Ari atoll – a whale shark hot spot very popular with snorkellers who converge there on a daily basis. What most are not aware of though is that in recent years the sharks of the Maldives have been deliberately killed to fuel the high demand for fins and meat in the Asian market. This has been happening illegally around the atoll and legally outside it. To stop this from occurring in Maldivian water the Maldives has made its first contribution to the marine ecosystem by developing a protected area for whale sharks. This initiative is backed by the government, diving professionals, representatives of the local community and biologists.

Visitors to the marine protected area will be governed by guidelines that regulate traffic, especially limits on maximum boat speeds and the number of boats and humans per shark. The government of the Maldives endorsed these guidelines in June 2008 and the local community has been brought to understand how important it is to preserve the whale shark. Beyond respect for the survival of the species, everyone realises that without them locals and dive centres will lose a major source of income.

Known as the top predators of the marine ecosystem, sharks have been around for 400 million years and play a very important role in marine life. Predators though they may be, they are still just another animal challenged by the normal life cycle, which for sharks includes limited reproductive opportunities, slow growth and late maturation. All these factors in addition to the huge pressure fishing exerts on them contribute to their fast-declining population.

The Maldives Whale Shark Research Program (MWSRP) was established in 2006 to protect the whale sharks. One of the main tasks of this program is to look at the population and their behavior in the Maldives. This is managed through an international genetic analysis and tagging project as well as through photo-identification and prey surveys.

How can you get involved?

The project is being run at the Conrad Resort and Spa on Rangali Island in South Ari. The hotel organises two one-day trips per week for guests eager to participate in the photo-identification process of all sharks encountered. In addition, the MWSRP is about to start a round of research trips (April through June, as well as one in December) and is on the lookout for research volunteers. One of the perks of this task is free diving with these endangered giants of the sea.