Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
A close encounter with a whale shark is one of the "things to do" on the life list for many scuba divers and snorkelers. Perhaps you have been one of the lucky few to swim with these enormous friendly elasmobranchs off Honduras in Utila (pictured), off Belize at Gladden Spit, or off the coast of south Texas in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. My encounters with whale sharks are limited to breathless descriptions from fellow divers. I left the water too soon, or arrived a day late. I watched the video hoping it will happen some day soon.
Rachel Graham and Dan Castellanos of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Belize have been tagging whale sharks and manta rays for several years. Rachel published a 2005 study in the Royal Society with co-authors Callum Roberts and James Smart at the University of York. The study documented the diving behavior of four whale sharks tagged during an annual snapper spawning event under a full moon.
The results demonstrated that a free-ranging whale shark displays ultradian, diel and circa-lunar rhythmicity of diving behaviour. Whale sharks dive to over 979.5 m, making primarily diurnal deep dives and remaining in relatively shallow waters at night.
Reference:
Graham, RT, Roberts, CM, Smart, JCR. 2005. Diving behaviour of whale sharks in relation to a predictable food pulse. The Royal Society.
Comments
Fascinating piece Peter, I had no idea whale sharks were found off the coast of Texas!
I am continuously amazed at all the deep-diving megavertebrates we've been highlighting this week. Its interesting how so many of the deep-diving behaviours correlate to diel-vertical migratory patterns into the midwater domain. This is one of the least studied areas on the planet. I think this week's post highlight how important this domain is to large vertebrates and merits much more funding to study midwater eology!
Posted by: Kevin Zelnio | April 20, 2007 8:46 AM
I recently visited the Georgia Aquarium and saw the whale sharks on display there. Even those subadults are awe-inspiring, although it made me feel sad as well, there really is no captive environment that can even get close to allowing a simulation of their behavior (diving depth, etc) in the wild. It can be argued how much "pleasure" whales get from diving deep, fast, etc, but it still seems to me like captive ones would pick up on the fact that they're missing SOMETHING...
Posted by: Anne-Marie | April 20, 2007 12:46 PM
It would be interesting to know if subadult diving behavior differed from adult diving behavior. We'll have to ask Rachel about that. Perhaps the young have yet to discover what lies below. Regardless, the only thing that doesn't make me sad about a captive whale shark is knowing they are safe from (human) predation. I hear they are hunted in the Philippines.
You are right, Kevin, that mid water ecology and deep diving behavior both warrant further study and better financial support. I'll address this tomorrow with a parting shot and farewell to Megavertebrate Week.
Posted by: Peter Etnoyer | April 20, 2007 4:32 PM
That is the most awsome picture of a whale shark bra. i love whale sharks bra! there awsome ! later bra's.
- asunta m.
Posted by: Asunta | April 3, 2009 9:39 AM
Very cool stuff above on this site.
Did anyone catch this? It was pretty cool. About Steve Alten and his new book Hell’s Aquarium.
MEG-A-SHARK WEEK
The last first-edition collector's hardbacks of MEG: Hell's Aquarium are being shipped to Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com in time for Discovery Channel's SHARK WEEK, August 2nd - August 9th. MEG, short for Carcharodon Megalodon was the 70-foot, 70,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White Shark. Reviewers have called best-selling author Steve Alten's latest installment "the Moby Dick of giant killer shark novels."
Must-reading for shark lovers!
Posted by: me | July 30, 2009 9:17 PM
osum pic so cool i wish i could wspeak to animals but i can't
Posted by: Britney Pereira | June 19, 2010 10:26 AM