Australian whale shark tourism recognized as world-leading due to innovative tracking technology

Employing technology comparable to a “fitbit” for sharks, a team of researchers has tagged and tracked whale sharks to investigate the impacts of tourism at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia for the first time. The study revealed that the activity of boats and divers has minimal detrimental effects.

The research discovered some evidence of increased activity levels and directional changes by the sharks when tourists swam with them. However, experts emphasize that each shark’s exposure was very limited.

This study serves as a significant endorsement of Australian whale shark tourism operators in the estimated US$1.9 billion global industry, which attracts over 25 million people annually at 46 sites across 23 countries.

Australia, particularly at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, is recognized as having the “gold standard” in global whale shark tourism.

Published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, the research involved physically tagging whale sharks with biotelemetry devices—electronic devices attached to animals to record data—for the first time, moving beyond mere observations.

“Through biotelemetry, we examined whale sharks’ movements and behavior in the presence or absence of tourists,” Dr. Brad Norman, research fellow at Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute and director of marine research non-profit ECOCEAN, explained.

“Our findings showed that tourism encounters lasted just over an hour, with swimming alongside tourists increasing the activity levels of larger sharks—those exceeding seven meters—but not smaller ones.”

“However, based on photo-identification records, most sharks are only spotted on three or fewer days per year at Ningaloo, indicating limited exposure to tourism for each individual,” Dr. Norman added.

Dr. Samantha Reynolds, the study lead during her Ph.D. at The University of Queensland, noted that the exposure represented only a small fraction of each shark’s day.

“Considering they spent an average of 62 minutes interacting with tourists, it amounts to about 4% of their entire day. Any increase in energy expenditure would thus be a relatively small portion of their daily energetic needs,” Dr. Reynolds stated.

“This data is crucial for both the animals and the industry, offering insights not discernible through observational studies alone.

“It also serves as a lesson in management for the broader wildlife tourism sector.”

“Although human interactions like these may impact wildlife to some extent, when properly managed like at Ningaloo reef, whale shark tourism can be sustainable for both operators, tourists, and the animals themselves,” she added.

The research team emphasizes that this is not always the case, particularly concerning whale sharks, as interaction methods and regulatory levels vary widely.

“Certain countries lack stringent regulations on whale shark tourism, resulting in overcrowding and feeding the sharks to attract tourists for swimming encounters,” Dr. Norman pointed out.

“This underscores the importance and immense potential for the global industry to learn from the practices at Ningaloo.”