Introduction
The impact of human activities on the environment is a commonly discussed theme in modern society. Although people understand how dangerous and provocative their actions and decisions are to nature, they cannot stop putting animals under threat of extinction. Biodiversity loss in species living in the ocean turns out to be a serious issue, addressing the outcomes of extinction or displacement due to overfishing, coastal development, and environmental pollution (Fisher, 2017). Therefore, society needs to save animals, contributing to a human-nature balance, and this paper focuses on learning about the situation with whale sharks, also known as Rhincodon typus. Communication with environmental experts and literature review help understand the major characteristics of whale sharks and they’re worth in biodiversity and define the steps to save this species. Rhincodon typus is one of the largest fishes in the world that swim across the oceans for feeding and migrating purposes, and their protection through education and minimal interference is a meaningful human responsibility.
Description
Rhincodon typus is the biggest inhabitant of the sea and ocean. Ebert et al. (2021) state that when it is born, its size is about 55-64 cm, and the mature size reaches 600 cm for males and 800 cm for females. However, according to other findings, the length of a whale shark can reach 20 meters, and its mass is about 42 tons (as cited in Weber et al., 2020). Still, it is usually hard to identify more or less definite statistics because it is impossible to measure large individuals properly due to their massive size (Ebert et al., 2021). It does not take much effort to recognize a fish with a flat head, a huge mouth in front of its eyes, and a grey or bluish back marked by yellow or white spots. Although their distribution is circumglobal, the preferred areas where they can be found are tropical oceans and warm-temperature seas, except the Mediterranean (Ebert et al., 2021). About 75% are in the Indo-Pacific, and 25% are in the Atlantic (Pierce & Norman, 2016). They travel long distances and dive to find food or avoid human-made threats.
Whale sharks have more than 300 tiny upper and lower teeth, which does not allow them to eat large or hard food. Thus, their feeding habits are seasonal or annual and include plankton, small shrimps, and fish (Ebert et al., 2021). One of the distinctive characteristics is filter-feeding with the help of modified gill rakers; thus, they cannot bite or chew (as cited in Weber et al., 2020). Despite their large sizes, whale sharks remain vulnerable to killer whales and people who initiate hunting for personal or financial benefits. Rhincodon typus neither introduces danger to humans nor demonstrates signs of aggression, which explains increased eco-tourism activities (Montero-Quintana et al., 2020). There are even several aquariums across the globe where people keep whale sharks for entertainment and business. Regardless of personal satisfaction and financial gains, the offered conditions are not appropriate for such large fish.
Status
The most recent assessment of whale sharks was introduced by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016. Pierce and Norman (2016) defined Rhincodon typus as Endangered under criteria A2bd+4bd. The products of this fish are valuable, and many individuals and organizations are interested in catching them. An overall decline of 63% in the whale shark population of the Indo-Pacific and 30% in the Atlantic has been observed during the last 75 years (Pierce & Norman, 2016). Thus, the evaluation of threats and solutions to stop extinction is required.
Threats
Despite the intention to remain environmentally friendly, people continue putting whale sharks at risk and introducing new threats to their lives. Illegal fishing and disrespectful behaviors challenge the inhabitants of the sea (Pierce & Norman, 2016). According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), monitoring the export and import of whale sharks is obligatory to predict damage and migration changes (Fisher, 2017). However, the impact of oil pollution that results from human transportation, ocean debris, underwater noise, and seafloor modifications become serious threats to the chosen species (as cited in Reynolds et al., 2022). Besides, coastal marine ecosystems are not stable today, and their degradation affects population growth (as cited in Reynolds et al., 2022). It is difficult for fish to maintain their habits regarding these changes, and their behaviors create additional damage to their health.
Another threat to Rhincodon typus is related to the growth of eco-tourism and the desire of people to interfere with wildlife. Although many professional organizations create guidelines and recommendations, most of them are poorly followed or neglected. As a result, the responses of whale sharks are associated with stress and behavioral changes, including vigilance, diving, and acceleration (Montero-Quintana et al., 2020). Unplanned migration provokes negative outcomes like the inability to find food or inappropriate socialization (as cited in Reynolds et al., 2022). Anthropogenic threats of whale sharks are mostly rooted in human behaviors, and this threat is real today.
Solutions
In addition to obtaining general knowledge about whale sharks and threats to their existence, it is important to understand what kind of help people may offer to these species. One of the common recommendations is to improve education for ordinary people and fishers who are directly related to the chosen fish. Many public awareness programs and laws protect whale sharks from being accidentally caught (Reynolds et al., 2022). Legislation in the form of international treaties and national/state laws like the Endangered Species Act (ECA) aims at protecting species (Fisher, 2017). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also participates in creating favorable environments for whale sharks by tracking marine animals, researching the productivity of the oceans, and measuring ships’ movement in the areas inhabited by these species (Bates, 2021). If there is a chance to reduce the human interruption in the whale shark’s life, it should be used.
Improving the relationships between whale sharks and humans is possible by establishing policies and rules. People need to learn how animals move and interact within the environment so as not to create additional threats (Reynolds et al., 2022). The presence of humans also negatively affects foraging efficiency because whale sharks choose foraging behaviors to be protected, migrate, and stop feeding (Montero-Quintana et al., 2020). Thus, the only reasonable thing that people can do to help whale sharks is to stay as far as possible from them and reduce the number of fishing and hunting activities.
Communication with an Expert
In this project, the decision to cooperate with an expert in the environmental field was made. In the Appendix, the email is offered to vividly demonstrate the questions, answers, and ideas about the importance of helping whale sharks to decrease their extinction levels. Several letters to different profit and non-profit organizations were sent, and the representative of Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center replied. Abi S is a project manager in the company who shared several recommendations to be applied. He underlined the necessity for people to reconsider their role in whale sharks’ lives and minimize their impact, including water and noise pollution (Appendix). He also mentioned the worth of education and the promotion of responsible eco-tourism practices. Personal involvement in environmental discussions and campaigns is highly appreciated in modern society.
Ways to Help Whale Sharks
Among the existing ways to help save whale sharks, improved education for communities and personal contributions like changing eating habits can be promoted today. The desire to establish and visit aquariums with whale sharks means that people know nothing or just a few facts about whale sharks. It is hard for one of the largest fish on the planet to live in human-made conditions. However, increased eco-tourism ratings prove that people do not want to stop their activities and observations of sharks’ behaviors (Montero-Quintana et al., 2020). Therefore, education is the only way to improve the situation and show how dangerous the human impact on whale sharks can be. There are many forms of how individuals may enhance their awareness. For example, the promotion of explanatory brochures with statistics and major characteristics of the species will be interesting to read and distribute quickly. Short videos about whale sharks’ lifestyles and needs will remind humans how dangerous they can be to the environment. The media usually covers sharks as ruthless human killers, which is not true, and it is high time to reveal that people are crueler and more merciless.
Another way to ensure that some positive contributions can be made to the life quality of whale sharks is closely related to personal decisions and choices. Therefore, in addition to education, every person should think about what can and cannot be done to the environment. Such preferences as no meat or fish to eat and no garbage to be thrown into water are simple but effective for preserving a clean environment and creating good conditions for animals and fish. NASA has already changed how water conditions can be improved by measuring the sea-level rise and cleaning up marine oil spills (Bates, 2021). Fishers follow administrative standards, and organizations create guidelines to protect nature and its innocent inhabitants. Individuals are obliged not to harm the environment and think about the outcomes of their decision to buy rare fish meat or visit an aquarium, which means providing financial support for capturing whale sharks. Campaigns against the places where large animals or fish are kept do not promote a negative public image but a safer world for endangered species.
These methods are chosen as they do not require special equipment or serious financial support for implementation. Although evident changes can hardly be noticed in a short period, positive outcomes may be expected in several years. When people show their respect for whale sharks, they will observe environmental improvements. It is not enough to continue taking such steps but encourage more people to follow these examples.
Conclusion
Whale sharks are large but vulnerable species on the planet, and human impact cannot be ignored in the discussion about their protection and preservation. Despite a commonly wrong media image of sharks and their dangerous behaviors, people create more threats to Rhincodon typus by supporting illegal fishing, trade affairs, entertainment activities, and environmental pollution. Being afraid of sharks and their size, people hardly notice how their actions reduce the number of these species in different regions. A lack of knowledge and poor awareness of facts about whale sharks deprive people of the opportunity to weigh all pros and cons of their relationships with nature. Therefore, education and personal behavioral changes can be the initial steps in helping save whale sharks and prove that humans can not only destroy or kill for personal benefits but protect and support the planet’s good.
References
Bates, S. (2021). Five ways NASA helps with shark conservation. NASA.
Ebert, D. A., Fowler, S., & Dando, M. (2021). Sharks of the world: A complete guide. Princeton University Press.
Fisher, M. R. (Ed.). (2017). Environmental biology. Pressbooks.
Montero-Quintana, A. N., Vázquez-Haikin, J. A., Merkling, T., Blanchard, P., & Osorio-Beristain, M. (2020). Ecotourism impacts on the behaviour of whale sharks: An experimental approach. Oryx, 54(2), 270-275.
Pierce, S. J., & Norman, B. (2016). Rhincodon typus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Reynolds, S. D., Norman, B. M., Franklin, C. E., Bach, S. S., Comezzi, F. G., Diamant, S., Jaidah, M. Y., Pierce, S. J., Richardson, A. J., Robinson, D. P., Rohner, C. A., & Dwyer, R. G. (2022). Regional variation in anthropogenic threats to Indian Ocean whale sharks. Global Ecology and Conservation, 33.
Weber, J. A., Park, S. G., Luria, V., Jeon, S., Kim, H. M., Jeon, Y., Bhak, Y., Jun, J. H., Kim, S. W., Hong, W. H., Lee, S., Cho, Y. S., Karger, A., Cain, J. W., Manica, A., Kim, S., Kim, J. H., Edwards, J. S., Bhak, J., & Church, G. M. (2020). The whale shark genome reveals how genomic and physiological properties scale with body size. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(34), 20662-20671.
Appendix
Request
Hello!
For my environmental biology class, I was instructed to reach out to someone who has knowledge of Whale Sharks or their scientific name of Rhincodon typus. I was instructed to ask the following questions via interview or email as part of a portfolio project I need to complete.
- Would you please be able to provide me with the answers to these three questions?
- Can you please share about what threats the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) faces?
- Why it is important to conserve the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)?
- What actions would you recommend to those eager to help with the conservation effort?
Thank you for your time.
Reply
Hi, Thanks for getting in touch with us and being interested in what we do here at WSORC. My name is Abi and I’m the Program Manager – nice to meet you!
Can you please share about what threats the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) faces?
Unfortunately, whale sharks face a number of threats. Not only are they vulnerable to illegal fishing practices, ingesting microplastics and ocean debris, but as a filter feeding animal that swims close to the surface, whale sharks are threatened by boat propellor injuries and oil pollution. Oil will coat their gills which prevents gas exchange from occurring, which essentially causes the shark to suffocate. Another form of pollution you may not consider is noise pollution. Whale sharks heavily rely on their hearing to locate their food source, therefore with the increase of shipping lanes being implemented across our oceans, whale sharks are unable to hear theirprey which prevents them from feeding!
Though by far the biggest issue we encounter here in Utila is unsustainable eco-tourism, in particular, over-crowding & touching (I have attached a copy of our guidelines to this email for reference). When we have witnessed violations to our guidelines, this always results in a negative encounter, where the whale shark will abruptly deep dive or change direction, and not re-surface again to feed. This is a sign of extreme stress. Not only does this disrupt their feeding behaviour, but whale sharks also come up to the surface after a deep dive to thermoregulate (warm up), therefore this process is also being disturbed.
In other areas around the world, some people will feed whale sharks 24/7, 3 times a day to guarantee that tourists will see them. However not only does this prevent whale sharks from migrating (which is essential for socialising, breeding and feeding), but it also causes the sharks to become skinny and unwell.
Why it is important to conserve the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)?
They are the largest shark species in the world, which also makes them the largest fish species! They are gentle giants which feed on the smallest prey, and it is an absolute privilege for us to be able to encounter them in the wild.
But even more importantly, there is still such little known about their species which needs to be discovered. Whale sharks are a huge enigma to science; therefore it is vital for scientists to be able to encounter them in order for us to gain a better understanding of what we can do to protect them. It is estimated that human’s have killed more than 80% of the world’s whale shark population since the 1980’s (based on the number of individuals removed/fished from the ocean). They need our help!
What actions would you recommend to those eager to help with the conservation effort?
Always be aware of local guidelines and regulations before you encounter wildlife. Always research the most reputable and eco-conscious operators before going on a wildlife tour. Educate your friends and family about marine conservation and responsible eco-tourism practices. Eat less fish & meat. Be more conscious on the impact you’re having on the planet! Participate in marine conservation internships (like ours!) to gain a better understanding of the marine world and have the opportunity to be personally involved in the important work we’re doing to protect what we love.
I hope that’s helpful Bradley, and we wish you all the best in your Environmental Biology class!
Program Manager