IN THIS ISSUE

 Whale Shark Feeding Frenzy Recorded in Seychelles 

Lucky MCSS programme participant James Thompson witnessed and photographically recorded a feeding frenzy of 12 whale sharks in an area of less than 100metres square. James was the observer on the morning aerial survey flight on October 2nd when pilot Johan Anderson sighted the amazing sight to the west of Capucin rocks, South Mahe.

James was able to take digital stills and video clips of the surface-feeding event in which several sharks can be seen lined up behind each other swimming in a tight feeding circuit, narrowly avoiding the others in the frenzied group.

Click here for the photos!

NOTICE BOARD

Whale Shark Sightings 
 July - Sept 2006

In-water Sightings
201 reported sightings
82 in-water encounters
46 shark identified
37 shark sexed
 (30M / 7F)
8 sharks tagged
4 sharks resighted from this season

Aerial Survey

39 flights flown
66h 18min survey time
259 shark sightings
22 Maximum / flight

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  Digital Photo ID Programme Helps Seychelles Whale Shark Monitoring Programme

	The Iris programme comparing whale shark images from Seychelles. Image MCSS

MCSS have been running trials with a spot pattern recognition programme to compare digital images of whale sharks accumulated over the years. The programme was originally developed to help identify Ragged Tooth sand-tiger sharks is named IRIS for Interactive Raggie Identification System.

Three land mark points calibrate each image and then the user defines the centre of up to 30 spots on each image to create a ‘fingerprint’ of the markings. The programme then compares these fingerprint files to the fingerprints stored in the database and shows the user the best 10 matches.  

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Scientists have been trying to unravel whale shark feeding techniques in the whale shark aggregation found off Holbox and Contoya between Mexico and Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico, states a press release from Jim Tharpe, Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The team was led by Dr. Robert Heuter of the Mote Marine Laboratory, who has been running a research programme since 2003, in association with Mexican Authorities. Dr. Heuter is also in charge of the whale shark project at the Georgia State Aquarium (see Sagren vol. 4.2).

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In mid-July, the Council Of Agriculture (COA) in Taiwan announced a ban on the catching of whale sharks for the remainder of this year as fishermen had already caught this year’s quota of 60 whale sharks. This announcement after only 6 months of fishing shows that the whale shark fishery is indeed still very active. Last year the quota was filled after 10 months of fishing.

The ban prohibits local fishermen from fishing for whale sharks in local and international waters. They cannot possess, sell or dispose of whale shark or whale shark parts and are required to release any whale sharks they catch, whether alive or dead.

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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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