Whale Shark Sighting Gives Mote Marine Rare Opportunity For Study

SARASOTA, FL -- For marine biologists, encountering a school of the world's largest fish is the equivalent of a treasure hunter finding a sunken Spanish Armada.

So there was more than a little excitement around Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota when Jacob Campoamor videotaped whale sharks swimming off the coast of Anna Maria Island June 2 while on a boating trip with his family.

Shortly after Campoamor's encounter, fishing boat captain, Barry Moss, reported a similar sighting from his 25-foot vessel about 20 miles off the coast of Longboat Key.

"I've been at Mote since 1988, and I think I've seen whale sharks off our coast three times," said Dr. Robert Hueter, senior scientist and director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote.

The Mote scientists weren't about to miss an opportunity to find. tag and study the world's largest fish.

With the help of Capt. Wylie Nagler, owner of Yellowfin Yachts, the Mote research team tracked down the distinctive spotted sharks. There were five of them feeding on the surface of the water, possibly on fish eggs or plankton.

“Reported sightings are usually scattered, but these sharks have remained in the same area -- about 30 to 40 miles off Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key," Hueter said.

The scientists were able to tag two of them with tracking devices that will provide a better understanding of the migration patterns and behaviors of these majestic sea creatures.

The first to be tagged was a 16-foot male they named Colt. He was tagged about 40 miles off Sarasota County. Two hours later, the team tagged a 22- to 25-foot female they named Minnie, and photographed her unique spot patterns for later identification.

The tracking tags will store data about the whale sharks’ location, and the depths and temperatures they encounter, providing invaluable information about this majestic species.

“The tags incorporate archival data collection and storage as well as Fastloc GPS location detection,” said Jack Morris, senior biologist at Mote. “This configuration provides GPS location data that can be received via satellite, and long-term depth and temperature data that can be retrieved once the tags release in six months.”

Hueter is not sure why the whale sharks have remained in this area.

"There could be a variety of reasons for these longer-duration sightings such as better ocean conditions for spotting the sharks, the opening of red snapper season drawing more boats offshore or the increased prevalence of smartphones to capture photos and videos of marine life," he said.

According to National Geographic, whale sharks can grow to 40 feet long or more but the average length is 18 to 33 feet, about the size of a school bus.

Their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the surface of the water.

The whale shark is a filter feeder. In order to eat, it juts out its giant jaws and passively filters everything in its path.

Whale sharks are found in all tropical seas and can migrate great distances. They are currently listed as a vulnerable species.

Video via Jacob Campoamor