At the time of writing 3 satellite tags had been deployed, one SPOT2 Position tag and two PAT archival tags. The SPOT2 tag however, detached after getting caught on a coral reef off Anse Takamaka; it was retrieved by two local fishermen who were rewarded for their efforts. The tag will be re-deployed during the coming season. One of the PAT tags also prematurely detached when one of the safety limits of the tag was passed; this tag was also recovered on South Mahe by Samson Vijay Kumar, a member of the SPDF.

Samson Vijay Kumar hands over the recovered PAT tag to MCSS Chairman David Rowat.

  The recovery of the PAT tag is a great bonus for MCSS as a large amount of data is stored in the tag’s memory; this has now been downloaded by the tag manufacturers, Wildlife Computers in Seattle. The data is currently under analysis and will allow us to better understand the movements of these sharks around the Seychelles islands. The remaining PAT tag is due to detach on January 6th  2004.

  Monitoring and tagging activities were well supported this year by many visitors and residents eager to assist in the project, (see “Friend of the whale shark” .

  The nation-wide Whale Shark Monitoring Network has been a valuable means of gathering data beyond Mahe bank, with sightings as far North Aride Island and as far South as the Amirantes. This data is helping us build up a better picture of the whale shark’s movement around Seychelles.

  The coming season is eagerly anticipated so that we can see how the new ‘soft’ marker tags manufactured and sponsored by “Aquasign’, Champion Technologies, are standing up to life on a whale shark. Also we hope to attach the last two SPOT2 satellite tags onto two cooperative whale sharks!  

On the 17th December 2003, the Marine Conservation Society held a workshop to develop a Whale Shark Encounter Policy.  The process for this Workshop began with the Whale Shark Monitoring Network Workshop held on the 28th May 2003, during which participants, amongst other issues, noted that the regular occurrence of whale sharks in Seychelles waters made them an ideal eco-tourism resource.  It was agreed that an encounter policy was needed to ensure that future eco-tourism activities would not have any detrimental effects on the whale sharks.

 During the Encounter Policy Workshop, participants were briefed on the findings from an outreached programme aimed at obtained additional viewpoints from various stakeholders. An overview of a model policy was presented and discussed. The stakeholder approved Whale shark Encounter Policy can now be presented to Government for endorsement.

In-water Sightings

Between July to December 2003, 296 sightings were reported with 232 in-water encounters. A total of 107 sharks were confidently identified. Of these 19 were tagged with placard marker tags, 32 with the new AquaSign marker tags and 3 with Satelitte tags. Forty nine sharks were sexed (46 males and 3 females).  With regard to re-sighting, 30 tagged sharks and 15 untagged sharks were re-sighted from this season. As  for  re-sightings of sharks identified last year, 3 tagged sharks have returned to Seychelles.

Aerial sightings

  Aerial survey’s using the MCSS Micro-light started in July, with a total of  116 flight lasting 202 Hrs 21 minutes. 765 Aerial sighting were reported with a max of 36 on one flight.

Please note that the data has been compiled from observations made by MCSS and members of the Seychelles National Whale Shark Monitoring Network.  

If you would like to participate in an MCSS whale shark monitoring trip please don’t hesitate to