Dive Into Your Imagination

Rachel Bott is crazy about whale sharks!  She is one of the main scientists on the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme team, and spends 6 months a year both protecting and becoming best friends with these magnificent creatures!  Not only does she get to see them daily while in the Maldives, but also has the opportunity to swim with and interact with them as a part of her research!

Why do you love whale sharks?  What is your favorite part about them?
My favorite part of the shark is their eyes.  They are busy when you are around them and they have a good look at you when in view.  Whatever their perception, you can watch them assess you and with that digested information they either chose to interact with you or continue on their way and regard you as a new part of the scenery.  The eyes are very sensitive and so it pains me to see them roll in defense when people flash cameras at them or get too close, it’s a clear indication of discomfort!

It is an indescribable experience when a shark approaches you to have a good look at you and then does the same to the other members of the team.  In the smaller sharks; they take a moment to really check you out and decipher whether or not you are good playmates.  On rare occasions they will proceed to interact, swim around you and bank over from side to side.  They may follow you down when you free dive and encourage you back up, it truly makes your soul smile!

What is the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme?  What does it aim to accomplish, and how did it get started?
The MWSRP is a program set up to study the local whale shark population in the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives, a chain of islands off of the coast of India.  In 2006 a pilot study was carried out to learn a little bit more about these creatures, and the team quickly discovered that very little was known about these animals and no one else was doing any research on them in the area.  The team has now grown and has returned to the Maldives for up to 6 months every year.  Whale sharks are an endangered species and are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List.  The programme therefore aims to conduct whale shark research and foster community focused conservation initiatives throughout the Maldives.

Tells us about the sharks!  What makes them different from other sharks?  How are they special?  Biologically, how are they interesting?
The sharks are epic!!!  Whale sharks are different from others in that they are one of three filter feeding sharks in the world, along with the megamouth and the basking sharks.  They are the biggest of the sharks and the biggest true fish of the oceans.  The whale sharks often swim at low speeds into shallow waters where we may interact with them, and on occasion they will choose to interact with us.  So in some ways the whale sharks come across as inquisitive and friendly giants!  They also have a unique and beautiful spot pattern, which not only separates them from other sharks (other than the leopard/zebra shark) but also from other fellow whale sharks because the spots are totally unique to each one!  They are an individual fingerprint, or identity for each shark. 

As an endangered species, the more we can learn about these animals the further our efforts may reach.  They are interesting as they grow very slowly, and very little is known about the rate at which they mature.  Gestation, or the sharks “pregnancy”, is practically a mystery to scientists, other than the ability of a female whale shark to reproduce oviviporously, meaning the sharks grow in eggs within the mother until they are ready to be born, with as many as 300 individuals developing within.  The sharks encountered by the team are almost exclusively juvenile with no shark on the team’s record measuring over 9m.  This by no means rules out larger animals in Maldivian waters, we are yet to be blessed with this encounter! This population is also almost entirely male biased, with only 5 females every recorded; the reason behind which is also unknown.  As you can see a trend of “unknowns” is unfolding here!  We are extremely fortunate in the Maldives as the sharks we encounter here are the same ones repeatedly.  The data-base we have complied represents only 134 sharks, however we have logged over 900 encounters.  We are seeing the same individuals on a continual basis. 

How do you go about studying them?  What is the main procedure?
Research is mainly vessel based and by eye.  The tactical procedure entails persons standing on the sun deck of the Dhoni boat (traditional Maldivian water craft), for hours on end locating the sharks by eye.  When a shark is spotted the boat is carefully maneuvered so that entry into the water may be carried out in a suitable manner, which is safe to both the researchers as well as the sharks.  Once in the water with the shark, identification shots are taken both of the left and right side of the shark, if possible.  We would also proceed to identify the sex of the shark by un-intrusively inspecting the underside of the shark for the presence of claspers (male reproductive apparatus), or absence of, which would indicate a female.  This method of sex identification is applicable for all the shark families including the rays.  If the encounter is quiet and only the team is in the water we may proceed to measure the shark with a measuring line.   Again this is carried out un-intrusively without the shark.  By measuring the sharks repeatedly we may begin to understand the growth of this gentle giant.  This is reinforced by the fact that we encounter the same sharks repeatedly and so as we are measuring known individuals we can compare last known measurements.  After the encounter, we record all relevant parameters such as GPS position of encounter, weather conditions etc.

What have you learned so far?  What questions have been raised and how do you hope to go about answering them in the future?
As mentioned before we have so far learned that at the aggregation site where the majority of the MWSRP is carried out the group of sharks is a small number, to date we have 134 individuals on the records.  We have a male biased population with only 5 females known.  The same sharks aggregate at this location until they grow to a mature length at which time they no longer are encountered In South Ari Atoll on such a regular basis.  It takes the sharks years of growth to become sexually mature, approximately 30 years and so reproduction is slow.  Baby whale sharks have been discovered in the stomach of large pelagic fish and mammals, indicating that predation upon small whale sharks is high.  

A million questions are constantly raised….

The only way to address these questions is through research and understanding of the whale sharks.  As we continue to accumulate information on these giants we may be provided with insight into these unique shark’s behaviors.  It sometimes becomes a case of asking yourself “what are these data trying to tell me”. 

What kinds of threats do the whale sharks in the Maldives face?  What about in the rest of the world?  What is the MWSRP doing to prevent this, and what can others do

There may be a number of different threats to whale sharks in the Maldives.  Evidently the most destructive of these is injury from of boat collisions.  Over 70% of the whale sharks in the Maldives bear serious scarring as a result of anthropogenic impacts.  There are of course the natural threats to whale sharks as well, which are most common during earlier years when the shark is still small is size.  Even though the fishing of whale sharks is banned and does not generally occur in the Maldives, when the sharks swim into other waters, this protection unfortunately does not travel with them and they are thus at possible risk.  Injuries that have been observed include a wooden harpoon embedded into the side of a shark, evidence of nets which have worked their way into the flesh of the sharks over time, and fining attempts.  Although these techniques are not employed in the Maldives and fishing here is very sustainably carried out, sharks swimming vast distances and returning to south Ari bring evidence of continued unwanted attention.  MWSRP have and continue to provide information and advice to the relevant authorities who make appropriate movements to protect the sharks.  We encourage any one who encounters whale sharks to pass on information about injury or even just the sighting to their host tour organisation or the MWSRP team.  If encounters have revealed interesting or concerning issues, then appropriate action may be carried out from there. 

As a scientist, what other aspects of the area are you studying?  How does this relate to the whale sharks?
As a scientist other areas of interest include the reef habitat itself.  Until we fully understand the environment in which the whale sharks aggregate, we cannot fully address all the questions constantly raised about these magnificent creatures.  We are assisting relevant bodies with reef surveys and inventories.  The different impacts of different monsoon energies and how the changes in environmental conditions affect the locations the whale sharks choose to go.  The perception and knowledge of these sharks by the local people of South Ari Atoll is hugely valuable.  Unique information from the fishermen and those with years of experiences with whale sharks is highly regarded as precious insight into the workings of this environment.  The importance of the whale shark to the local communities is a continual area of interest, and one which has expanded and caught the eye of international university interest.  A student from the University of Newcastle, UK, has been asking a number of community members from islands on the south Ari Atoll structured questions regarding the sharks.  We are all keen for the outcome of the study. 

You do so much for the whale sharks, but you also help out the local community as well.  What sort of work have you been doing with the Maldivian community?
We were very excited to have recently undergone a school exchange with a British school!  The children came over from the Uk and spent a number of days on the water with the team learning about the sharks as well as other important marine systems and inhabitants.  They spent the remainder of their time in the local school immersing themselves in the rich Maldivian culture in the homes of school friends and in traditional evening entertainment.  The schools are now fundraising for the return journey of their new Maldivian friends due for July next year.  The team also makes efforts to take children from the local schools out on day trips to the reef and hopefully find and swim with the whale sharks that are such an important part of their environment.  We also work with many local resorts and dive centers to again raise the awareness of the Programme and work with them. 

How can other people get involved with MWSRP?
People can come and get involved, just like Brenna from DIYI did!!!  People are interested in the project for different reasons, for university studies, for interest in grand marine life, for personal development and just for pure love of the whale shark! We encourage people to join the team and with that become part of the research; all day-to-day activities are carried out by everyone!  Other ways to get involved include sharing information with us, if people are fortunate enough to encounter a whale shark, then any info about the shark and where it was seen is great.  Also any photographs are great as we could ID the shark and tell you if it’s one we already know!  We also now have a shop on the website where you can purchase different t shirts, rash-vets, hats etc, check it out www.maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org.  You can also donate online and all the money from this and purchases goes back into the charity and allows the programme to carry on that much longer!

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