Beyond the Beagle: Tracking Ocean Giants A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

To study the biggest fish in the sea, the WHALE SHARK, where do we begin? What methodology do we use? A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

I wonder if Darwin ever saw one of the ocean giants that can sometimes be seen in the Galapagos Islands; The Whale Shark. This magnificent ocean wanderer can reach lengths of 20 metres and is the world’s largest fish. Although listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red list, the whale shark is still threatened by fishing activities, where they are still caught as by-catch and as a targeted species. The white meat and fins are sold for large amounts of money in countries including China, Indonesia and Taiwan. The Galapagos Islands are one of the few places in the world where large groups of these sharks can be seen during migration. In 2006 a ‘Programme for Investigation and Shark Conservation’ began, to include the study of the whale sharks. By using cutting edge technology and equipment scientists want to understand more about the behaviour of the whale sharks, where do they travel to and when, how many are there? Are they found in groups or alone?   It is thought that perhaps some of the visiting whale sharks in Galapagos are pregnant females. Scientists want to investigate why they are in the Galapagos marine reserve. Are they going there to feed or have their pups? Or perhaps using it as a resting stop before heading elsewhere on their migration? How important is the Galapagos Marine Reserve to the sharks and can we share our knowledge and understanding of these magnificent creatures to help conserve them? Read on to investigate how the whale shark team carry out their research… A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green On board the whale sharks research team boat we have been waiting for days to see our first sighting. Then, there it is!!! Quick, get the scuba gear on, equipment out and at the ready….. A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green Wow! Look at the size of this animal! We want to measure it. How can we do this? Look at the size of the diver compared to the size of the fish! A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

Let’s talk science: How do you think a whale shark is measured? © Jonathan Green Let’s talk science: How do you think a whale shark is measured? Discuss your ideas with a learning partner A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Cesar Penaherra Look at this serious piece of kit we use! It looks like a camera doesn’t it? The method is called laser photogrammetry. We ‘project’ laser markings of a known length along the side of the whale shark as we take photos. As we know the lengths of the lasers 25 cm apart we have a scale to work out how long they actually are! A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green Can you see the diver projecting the lasers onto the whale shark? We recently measured one that was 18 metres! Go outside and measure that if you can. A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green We’re getting there. Let’s find out more. How can we find out about the whale shark’s DNA? Is it healthy? What is it eating? Let’s talk science: What do you think the diver is doing in the photo? A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green Brilliant! We have gathered loads of information on our whale shark… but hold on! It is swimming away! If it leaves the Galapagos Marine Reserve how will we know where it is going, where it is feeding, is it alone or with others? Is it going to be OK? Let’s talk science: How do you think we can keep track of where the whale sharks go? A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

To track the whale sharks we use GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite tagging. Look at the photos of us attaching a tag to the shark. It doesn’t hurt the animal, but each time it surfaces to breathe the tag sends a signal to a satellite which records the position of the shark and gives us important information about the sharks movements and migration. © Jonathan Green © Jonathan Green © Jonathan Green A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green Look at the tags we use. They are called ‘SPOT 5.’ What size are they? Don’t forget whale sharks are big animals so it is OK for the tags to be large. © Jonathan Green © Jonathan Green A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

© Jonathan Green A year later and we’re back in the Galapagos Marine Reserve waiting to see if the Whale Sharks visit again this year…. Look!! There is one in the distance swimming towards the boat. But wait, how do we know if it a returning shark we saw last year, or a new one to the reserve? Let’s talk science: How do we identify individual sharks? A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK

Last year we took photos of all the sharks we encountered, especially the ones with tags. We then send the photos to a special place called the ‘ECOLEAN whale shark global data bank.’ They use special computer software that studies the unique pattern of white spots on each individual to identify it from another. Imagine their spot patterns are like our fingerprints: they are all unique or different. The photos are shared with other scientists and conservationists who study whale sharks When the sharks arrive this year, we take photos again and see if we can match them up with the ones we identified last year. Then we know if they are returning sharks or new to the Galapagos! Clever science! To find out even more about whale sharks and to do some exciting activities visit Discovering Galapagos A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) GALAPAGOSCONSERVATION.ORG.UK