In this exclusive series, Dr Alex Hearn takes us on a fascinating journey to try and discover the secrets of the enigmatic whale sharks which congregate in Galapagos...
The whale shark is the world’s largest fish, reaching lengths of up to 20 metres, yet surprisingly little is known about it. By tagging individual sharks, the Galapagos Whale Shark Project team hopes to build a robust set of data about their migration behaviour, to determine what action is needed to protect this magnificent ocean giant.
Dr Alex Hearn
Principal Scientist & Co-Founder
Jonathan Green
Project Founder & Director
Sofía Green
Investigator / Data Analyst
Dr Simon Pierce
Collaborating Scientist
Dr Chris Rohner
Collaborating Scientist
Jenny Waack
Intern
Adult female whale sharks make long-distance movements past Darwin Island (Galapagos, Ecuador) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Marine Biology – September 2016
Alex R. Hearn, J. Green, M. H. Román, D. Acuña-Marrero, E. Espinoza, A. P. Klimley
Most previous studies on whale shark movements have been on immature sharks. Here, the authors present tracking data for large females that were tagged at the Galapagos Islands, where they occur seasonally.
Association of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) with thermo-biological frontal systems of the eastern tropical Pacific
PLOS ONE – August 2017
John P. Ryan, Jonathan R. Green, Eduardo Espinoza, Alex R. Hearn
The first tracking study of whale sharks in the eastern tropical Pacific has yielded valuable insights into the demographics and ecology of this species within some of the most productive habitats in the global ocean.
Underwater ultrasonography and blood sampling provide the first observations of reproductive biology in free-swimming whale sharks
Endangered Species Research – March 2023
Rui Matsumoto, Kiyomi Murakumo, Ryo Nozu, David Acuña-Marrero, Jonathan R. Green, Simon J. Pierce, Christoph A. Rohner, Harry Reyes,
Sofia M. Green, Alistair D. M. Dove, Maria L. Torres, Alex R. Hearn
This study reports on a non-invasive technique for observing the reproductive states of wild, free-swimming whale sharks for the first time. Female whale sharks were assessed using underwater ultrasonography and a novel blood-sampling technique at Darwin Island in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
