Whale shark with satellite tag heading to Somalia

A female whale shark fitted with a satellite transmitter is heading towards the Somalian coast, more than 100 days after it was set off from Sutrapada, off the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat.

This journey of the largest fish in the world — also endangered — is the first and longest migratory movement of whale sharks ever recorded from the Indian subcontinent, said researchers from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The female whale shark was the seventh to be satellite tagged six that were tagged stopped giving signals for about 40 to 60 days. “This female whale shark travelled all along the Arabian Sea before it reached the Maldives, and is now in international waters heading to the Somalian coast,” said Sajan John, project head, marine projects, WTI. “Knowing the spatial pattern of this endangered species will help design a more robust conservation and management plan in collaboration with other countries.”

In July last year, the conservation status of the whale shark was updated from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’ on the Interna Nature (IUCN) Red List.

It was on the morning of December 30 last year that a fisherman from the coastal village of Sutrapada informed the WTI project team that a female whale shark was entangled in his fishing nets approximately four nautical miles off the coast. The field team along with the range forest officer and customs superintendent rescued the 18-20 feet healthy and active whale shark. A tissue sample was collected for genetic analysis, after which the satellite tag was attached and the whale shark freed. The tag was programmed to transmit signals on alternate days