Author(s): Camrin D. Braun , Gregory B. Skomal , Michael L. Berumen , Simon R. Thorrold

Presentation: oral

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide. Although trade has been banned in many countries, unregulated whale shark fisheries are still common in some areas. Potential fisheries mortality and the lack of population information led the IUCN to list them as “vulnerable.” We recently discovered a globally significant group of juvenile whale sharks in the eastern Red Sea. Our study describes short- and long-term movements of whale sharks from this site. In 2010, forty-seven juvenile sharks were fitted with combinations of satellite and acoustic transmitters for tracking shark location. A hydrophone array was constructed near the tagging locations to monitor acoustic tag signals. Much of the shark traffic in this area was concentrated in a small portion of the reef. Large-scale movements were determined from 10 SPOT5 satellite tag deployments. Six whale sharks demonstrated southerly movements toward Bab el Mandeb Strait before tag detachment. A single individual was confirmed off the southern coast of Oman after traveling 3,000 km over a 104-day period. Our results suggest the southern Red Sea may serve as an important nursery for juvenile whale sharks.

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