IN THIS ISSUE

 Whale Shark Fisher Arrested in Thailand

The captain of a fishing boat was arrested and charged with killing a whale shark off Thailand’s coast in May this year, report the WildAid Foundation (Thailand). The captain advised that he accidentally caught the whale shark together with other fish whilst conducting industrial fishing and was unaware that the whale shark is on the endangered list under the Wild Animal Preservation and Reservation Act B.E.2535 (WAPA). 

The dead 3.8 m whale shark was confiscated by Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Division together with the Marine Police from the boat while it was berthing the Tha Chine Union Seaport; the captain said that he intended to sell the dead whale shark.

NOTICE BOARD

Whale Shark Sightings 
 Apr - Jun 2006

In-water Sightings
9 reported sightings
0 in-water encounters
0 shark identified
0 shark sexed 

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  Whale Shark Forum

	Juvenile whale shark feeding, Djibouti. Photo Simon Rogerson, Dive Magazine

The long awaited whale shark forum has now been set up. The idea for the forum was agreed at the International Whale Shark Conference in Perth , in May 2005, but pressure of work meant that the project was delayed in its implementation.

 The project was brought to fruition by Brad Norman and the EcOcean team and while it currently has few members, it is hoped that all those interested in whale sharks and whale shark research will join in and make this forum the valuable tool that it should indeed be.

The forum is open to anyone, just click on this link and will hopefully stimulate some debate on many issues.

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Last month, the smallest free-swimming whale shark ever photographed was spotted and by tourists during a dive in Manado , Indonesia , reports FiNS on-line magazine  www.finsonline.com.

 Visiting divers aboard the Nautica dive boat from Tasik Ria resort, Manado , sighted the young whale shark on a dive off the wall at Bunaken.

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Two more whale sharks have been installed at the Georgia State Aquarium in an apparent attempt to establish a captive breeding programme. The aquarium, the world's largest, was a $250 million gift to Georgia from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of ‘The Home Depot’, and caused controversy with the arrival of the first two whale sharks last year.

The two new arrivals are young female whale sharks, of 3.3 and 4.2 m, who join the two 5.4m males that have been in captivity for around a year now.

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The Manila Bulletin On-line reported the discovery of a 7.6 m whale shark found dead off coast of Masbate . Fishermen from the village of Barangay Burok-Burokan Monreal, spotted the floating carcass of the whale shark at 4 a.m. and immediately notified the municipal officials who, in turn, notified the police and the Philippine Coast Guard. During investigation the authorities found that the animal suffered 12 bullet wounds in the head.

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EcOcean report that Shark A-001, or 'Stumpy', as he is known by local Exmouth whale shark tour operators and researchers, was sighted once again in the Ningaloo Marine Park in early May this year. This is the shark’s 12th documented season in Ningaloo’s coastal waters.

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Please let us know! Please get as much information as possible, where when, how many, how big, what it was doing etc. then call us, e-mail us or fill out our on-line sighting form every sighting is important in building a picture of these sharks movements and behaviour around Seychelles

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By becoming a whale shark foster parent you are ensuring that research on whale sharks is continued. Your support will assist in protecting these amazing creatures and ensure that they continue roaming the world’s tropical oceans.

Adopt me !

Mazarin (s275): A 4½ m juvenile male whale shark tagged on the 25th January 2003 near L'ilôt Island. He has a distinct scaring pattern and is easily recognized.

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