Blog: Galapagos Whale Shark Project

The whale shark is the world’s largest fish, yet surprisingly little is known about it. We are still to discover where they go to breed, give birth and spend the first few years of their life. These basic life history elements are not only interesting to know but also important if we are to successfully conserve this gentle giant. This ground-breaking research project in Galapagos hopes to deliver some of these crucial insights into their lives. Read news and updates about the project here:

Galapagos Whale Shark Project Update

Following the global media interest in the international fishing fleets on the outskirts of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and the news that Hope the whale shark went missing in May, this August’s Galapagos Whale Shark Project field research trip was more important than ever.

Losing Hope

After eight months, Hope the whale shark's GPS tag has stopped pinging, leading to worries of her whereabouts after heading to an area of high fishing near the Galapagos Islands.

Proposed protected swimway between Galapagos and Costa Rica declared a Hope Spot

A vital underwater migration highway that connects the Galapagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador and the Cocos Island National Park in Costa Rica has been declared a Mission Blue Hope Spot.

Signals of ‘Hope’ in unprecedented times

In our most recent blog, we updated you about the Galapagos Whale Shark Project’s latest trip to Galapagos. Deploying new…

Galapagos Whale Shark Project – Updates

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) is a large area of the northeast Pacific, which provides protection to a diverse and thriving marine ecosystem, including the world’s largest fish, the whale shark.

Galapagos Whale Shark Project update

The first ultrasound images of wild whale sharks have been captured. Written by GCT volunteer Avani Gupta. There are many…

Galapagos Whale Shark Project Update 2018

By the Galapagos Whale Shark Project (GWSP) team Scientists from Ecuador, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland are in the Galapagos…

Mysterious whale sharks and where to see them in Galapagos by Dr Simon Pierce

Hi, I’m Simon, and I have a whale shark problem. You’d think a giant shark would be easy to find.…

Whale sharks using thermal gradients to find food sources

Background In spite of being the world’s largest extant fish species and occurring in all warm, temperate seas (apart from…

Galapagos Conservation Trust

Raising awareness of Galapagos in the UK