Satellite Tracking for Whale Sharks in India
Sunday, October 19th, 2008The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is about to implement a satellite tracking program for the whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
The program, believed to be the first of its kind in India, will involve monitoring of whale sharks along the Gujarat coast. The sharks will have a tag implanted in their dorsel fin, which will be able to rely important information to satellites about the movements of the fish.
In particular, the satellite tracking will provide scientists with information about the migration, breeding, water temperature and deep movement among other parameters of the fish and its habitat.

Often referred to as the "gentle giant", the whale shark can grow up to 12.2 m. (40 ft.) in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes (15 short tons).
Although this is the first time satellite monitoring will be used for whale sharks in India, its not the first time the country has used satellite tracking on marine life. India has used satellite tracking on sea turtles and other marine species.
“We do not have any population specific data about the species. One of the greatest constraints of the conservation of the fish is poor knowledge about the life and biological parameters such as growth, reproduction, distribution and movement,” coordinator of the project Dhiresh Joshi said.
The data provided by the program will help in designing conservation projects for the whale shark, which has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable since 2000.
The whale shark is often killed for meat, liver oils, fins, frozen meat that are in huge demand in the south Asian countries.
Previous Satellite Monitoring
The U.S. and China have already been tagging whale sharks, with some interesting results. Satellite monitoring in the U.S. and South China sea have revealed that whale sharks can travel thousands of kilometers over many years.
About the Whale Shark
Often referred to as the “gentle giant”, the whale shark can grow up to 12.2 m. (40 ft.) in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes (15 short tons). The giant fish can be found in warmer, tropical oceans, usually between latitudes 30°N and 35°S, and is often seen in the waters of Australia, India, the Maldives, South Africa, Belize, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
A whale shark can live for as long as 70 years (if its not hunted and killed beforehand).
Although the whale shark was first discovered in 1828, it is believed to have been around for at least 60 million years.