Whale Shark Project, Philippines
Added to website: 17 May 2006
In March 2006 a team of CCC Society Members teamed up with the diving support and survey vessel, DSV Discovery, to undertake a whale shark survey in Sogod Bay, Philippines.
Over a period of seven days, the surveyors observed a minimum of 18 whale shark. Images was obtained for 9 individual animals, with multiple images obtained of most subjects. 78% of the 18 observed animals were between 4.5 and 7m, with an overall mean length of 6.1m (∂ = ±1.3m). Of the 18 confirmed individual sightings, 13 were sexed and all were found to be female. The majority of sightings were either in the morning before 09:00 (58%), or in the evening after 16:00 (30%).
It is hoped that this piece of research may be a baseline to the collection of long-term datasets on the population dynamics of whale sharks within the bay, to better understand the movements of these mysterious and magnificent animals, and thus to facilitate the most appropriate management of them as a livelihoods resource.
This information has been made available to the Shark Trust (UK) and the Ecocean Project (Australia).
Download the Full Report:
Whale Shark Photo-Identification Project, Sogod Bay, Philippines (24-30 March 2006).
- Shay O’Farrell, CCC Chief Technical Officer.
