The Shark Research Institute (SRI), based in Princeton, NJ, is engaged in a worldwide study to locate, tag and document the behavior of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, the largest fish in the sea. Whale sharks are rare; by 1986 there had been only 320 recorded sightings in all of western scientific literature. Seasonal aggregations have been observed in recent years with the result that whale sharks have become a prime target of eastern fisheries. As an example, in 1999 three villages in India alone slaughtered some 1,000 whale sharks.

Adopt A Whale Shark

Whale Shark Sighting Database
The Shark Research Institute is compiling a database of whale shark sightings. Please report any sightings of whale sharks (tagged or untagged) by using our Online Whale Shark Sighting Form, by sending the information via email to SRILevine@aol.com, or by mail or fax to the SRI Headquarters in the United States or to the project director in South Africa.
An online form is available to report whale shark sightings.