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Where in the world are Whale Sharks?
Where in the world are Whale Sharks?
Since they are ectothermic, they roam the oceans all over the world, typically found near the tropics between latitudes 30°N and 35°S. They’ve been spotted near Australia, Mexico, Ecuador, Belize, South Africa, the Philippines, the Maldives, the Galapagos Islands, and Southeast Asia. They are found in shallow and deep waters, also near coral reefs.
Distribution map
Whale Sharks are listed as "endangered" with IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).
Why are Whale Sharks in decline?
Why are Whale Sharks in decline?
Whale Sharks are disappearing because of the impacts of fisheries and by-catch, and they've become victims of trash pollution (micro-plastics as well) and vessel strikes. Whale Sharks have very long life spans (60 - 100 years) but don't reach maturity until about 30 years. Because of these facts, we can conclude that Whale Sharks are dying faster than they can reproduce.
Whale Shark Tourism is also a contributing factor. Whale Sharks are known to swim near the surface of the ocean, which is why people are attracted to them. People can jump right in the water and swim next to them. Whale Sharks truly are gentle giants. This may seem harmless, but this can interrupt the shark's feeding patterns and puts them at risk of injury by nearby boat propellers.
What can we do to help?
What can we do to help?
We can help Whale Sharks by supporting government policies that protect sharks, selecting sustainably fished seafood, and choosing tourism that minimizes their effects on the ecosystem while still educating the public on these animals.
Unfortunately, these animals are now endangered through no fault of their own. We can help them flourish and thrive again by choosing sustainability and taking action to protect them.
What is currently being done to help Whale Sharks?
What is currently being done to help Whale Sharks?
The governments of Sri Lanka, Israel, and the Philippines have added Whale Sharks to Appendix I and II of their Convention of Migratory Species Act (CMS). This proposes to promote improved protection to the aggregation sites and encourage action to be taken towards threats like by-catch, vessel strikes, and impacts from unsustainable tourism.
Full regulation and protection is under way in South Africa and Taiwan.
Within the last few weeks, 4Ocean has partnered with Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to contribute to their tracking program. They're going to attach fin-mount satellites to free-swimming Whale Sharks. By this, they're going to receive the world's first, highest resolution migration data ever recorded. This data will serve to help conservation and management authorities understand the pressures on this species, which will lead to better protection and management in the future!
Key words: endangered, ecosystem, species.
Citations:
Why are whale sharks endangered & how to help. American Oceans. (2021, July 29). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.americanoceans.org/blog/why-are-whale-sharks-endangered/#:~:text=Despite%20this%2C%20the%20IUCN%20(International,maturation%2C%20spell%20recipe%20for%20disaster.
Association), S. P. (M. M., & Norman, B. (2016, March 18). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/es/species/19488/2365291.
The 4ocean bracelet - every purchase pulls a pound of plastic from our. 4ocean. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.4ocean.com/.
Home. Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. (2021, October 26). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://ghof.org/?v=1d20b5ff1ee9.
Photos top to bottom: 4314792966_d2ef12fe37_b.jpg (1024×768) (staticflickr.com); https://conservationgraphs.com/whaleshark.php; Rhincodon typus (Whale Shark) (iucnredlist.org); Rhincodon typus (Whale Shark) (iucnredlist.org)
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