Whale Sharks: Juvenile Aggregations in the Red Sea

In 2000, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the whale shark as "vulnerable." Credit: Thinkstock.com

A recently discovered aggregation of juvenile whale sharks has been tagged off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Through a collaboration of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, 47 whale sharks were equipped with satellite transmitting tags from 2009 to 2011. Their movements were (including depth) were tracked and it was found that the majority of the sharks made frequent dives of up to 1,640 feet, with certain individuals diving up to 4,462 feet (the max depth reached by a tagged individual). Most of the sharks remained in the Red Sea during the study period suggesting it may be a critical juvenile habitat for the population. In fact, the research team did not document any adult whale sharks in the study area indicating the area may be a "staging ground" for juveniles before moving into groups of larger adults. There are 12 other such aggregation sites identified world wide. In addition, this juvenile aggregation is unique with a 1:1 male to female ratio, previously identified juvenile aggregations have been dominated by males.

Read the full article: Juvenile Whale Sharks Tracked in the Red Sea