Whey-hey! I've finally done my bit for marine conservation after finding a great website creating an online photo-identification library of whale sharks.
I know it's only a small step.
But being a frustrated adventurer (no guts) and discovering too late in my life (now have a credit card and mortgage) that I should've studied marine biology at university (instead of something far less worthwhile) it's a big deal for me.
The ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library is a visual database of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) encounters and of individually catalogued whale sharks from around the globe.
By analysing the unique skin spotting patterns behind the gills of each shark it's possible to distinguish individual animals. The information can then be used by marine biologists to research the lives of these majestic creatures.
And I've contributed an encounter # 15122008134247
I was diving the White Knight reef, north of Sharks Bay, Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt's Red Sea in July (08), when dive guide Saffy spotted the shark at about 40m.
There had been rumours that whale sharks were about but I didn't really think I'd see one in the Red Sea. When we did my eyeballs filling the lens of my mask, but I managed to ping off a few shots on my camera.
I've now added three images to the database where they'll be more use than the "Guess what I saw while diving?" bragging that they have so far been used for.
I'll let you know whether we've captured a new whale shark on camera or sited one that has already been identified.
Whatever the outcome, I hope it will go someone to helping us to understand and protect these magnificent creatures.
And, I'll never moan about diving the house reef again. You never know what you could find.
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