Galapagos Whale Shark Project

Galapagos Whale Shark Project Discovering the mysteries of ocean giants & through research/education promoting marine conservation.
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04/12/2026

A new milestone in whale shark research in the Galapagos.

This expedition in Western Galapagos marks a significant scientific breakthrough, securing the first-ever record of whale sharks actively feeding in the area. Through a collaborative effort between the , and , the team successfully tagged the first individuals ever recorded in this newly explored region.

The integration of satellite tagging and drone surveys will allow researchers to better understand the connectivity and ecology of these giants, providing vital data to guide management strategies and protect the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

This work is possible thanks to the support of and the Kau family.

…

Un nuevo hito en la investigación del tiburón ballena en Galápagos.

Esta expedición, realizada en el oeste de Galápagos, marca un logro científico al documentar el primer registro de tiburones ballena alimentándose activamente en la zona. A través de una colaboración entre el Proyecto Tiburón Ballena de Galapagos, el Galapagos Science Center y La Dirección del Parque Nacional Galapagos, el equipo logró marcar exitosamente a los primeros individuos en esta área poco explorada.

El uso de rastreo satelital y monitoreo con drones permitirá a los científicos comprender mejor la conectividad y la ecología de estos gigantes, proporcionando datos esenciales para implementar estrategias de manejo que protejan la Reserva Marina de Galápagos.

Este trabajo es posible gracias al apoyo de y la familia Kau.

Video: and
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Music: tunetank
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In 2025 our citizen science community grew supporting whale shark conservation through photoID. This data is invaluable ...
03/08/2026

In 2025 our citizen science community grew supporting whale shark conservation through photoID.

This data is invaluable to understand:

* whale shark movements around the globe
* presence in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
* use of the protected area

And helps us create management and conservation strategies for the protection of this gentle giant.

Thank you to all who reported whale shark sightings in 2025!

11/11/2025

To understand highly migratory species such as the whale shark, regional collaborations are vital 🌎.

Learn more about the work we’ve been doing to unravel the mysteries behind the movements of the ocean’s largest shark 🦈.

I have never understood why one day would be more important than any other for a species? I think about whale sharks and...
08/30/2025

I have never understood why one day would be more important than any other for a species? I think about whale sharks and the Oceans EVERY day... our planet needs the Oceans EVERY day, not just once a year... Photo GWSP Martin Narvaez "Tagging a whale shark at Darwin Arch, Galapagos"

It’s a wrap!Here’s a teaser of some of this year’s expedition achievements and the team behind it 🦈 More news to come 🔜
07/04/2025

It’s a wrap!

Here’s a teaser of some of this year’s expedition achievements and the team behind it 🦈

More news to come 🔜

This year we were able to tag an adult male whale shark ‼️ Here’s why our team is so excited 🤩
06/28/2025

This year we were able to tag an adult male whale shark ‼️

Here’s why our team is so excited 🤩

Update from the field ❗️ 👀 After a week in Darwin Island, we have encountered 9 different individuals🦈.During each encou...
06/23/2025

Update from the field ❗️ 👀

After a week in Darwin Island, we have encountered 9 different individuals🦈.

During each encounter we’ve collected images for photo-ID - with one resulting in an exciting discovery: a match of a female whale shark that was seen for the first time in 2012 by our team.

The individual pictured here, now known as “Ñaña” (meaning sister in Quechua), was first reported in one of the earliest expeditions of the project 13 years ago. This discovery emphasizes the importance of this place for these gentle giants.

Now “Ñaña” has a tag that will allow us to track her once she leaves the Galapagos Marine Reserve 🌊.

Stay tuned for more updates!

🐟 The Ultimate HitchhikersThese fish attach themselves to whale sharks, catching a free ride and a meal. They are one of...
06/15/2025

🐟 The Ultimate Hitchhikers

These fish attach themselves to whale sharks, catching a free ride and a meal. They are one of many species commonly associated with whale sharks in Galapagos.

📸 swipe to learn more about our research!

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0239Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve ...
06/07/2025

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0239
Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets
Ana M. M. Sequeira et al.

How satellite data can be used to determine threats and conservation management of marine megafauna.

"(11 million geo-positions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of space use of highly mobile marine megafauna, showing that 63% of the area that they cover is used 80% of the time as important migratory corridors or residence areas."

The goal of 30 x 30; 30% of the oceans protected by 2030, (an increase from the poorly protected 8% today) will NOT be sufficient, (but then we all knew that...) The Oceans are the Future of this Planet, with or without humans! YOU DECIDE
Photo: Martin Narvaez GWSP

Shout-out to our Citizen Science Photo-ID champions of 2024 🥳🎉Throughout the year we received 91 different encounter rep...
05/20/2025

Shout-out to our Citizen Science Photo-ID champions of 2024 🥳🎉

Throughout the year we received 91 different encounter reports from naturalist/dive guides, fishermen and visitors. Thanks to these reports we were able to identify them as different individuals for Galapagos, out of which 10 had been seen in the past 🤯😁

Thanks to the support of the community through citizen science we are able to understand more about whale shark movements in and out of the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

You can contribute by uploading your sighting via www.sharkbook.ai, tag us in your whale sharks posts or forward them to us via DM.

04/04/2025

This article is written by Sofía Green In a historic and groundbreaking event, a tagged whale shark has returned to the Galapagos after an incredible ~7 month (210-day) journey across ...

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