The results have implications for the conservation of this endangered species. ‘The best data available suggests that more than half of the world’s whale sharks have been killed since the 1980s. Although the western Indian Ocean remains a global hotspot for the species, even the largest feeding areas only host a few hundred sharks. Our results show that we need to treat each site separately, and ensure good conservation management is in place, as the sharks may not re-populate if they’re impacted by people’s activities,’ Prebble added.

Photograph: Clare Prebble/Marine Megafauna Foundation and University of Southampton