The study analyzed satellite tracking data from 78 whale sharks tagged over 14 years at Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay, two well-known aggregation sites off the Western Australian coast.

For example, fishers have anecdotally reported whale sharks gathered together and males swimming belly up below what are thought to be sexually mature females. “At Ningaloo Reef, and many ...

Then, in May of 2024 during a two week research expedition, a spotter plane saw two whale sharks near the surface of the water at Ningaloo Reef and alerted the boat below, according to the study.

“At Ningaloo Reef, and many aggregation sites ... “This could explain why female whale sharks may be avoiding aggregation sites. Particularly for juvenile female sharks, the energetic costs ...

Ningaloo is one of the few places that whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) congregate with any regularity. Despite its remoteness, some 5,000 people make the trek up there each year to swim with the gentle ...

A whale shark swimming at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.Credit: Getty Images The institute’s scientists have mapped and tracked the animals using advanced satellite tags and found they can ...

The world’s oceans are vast expanses filled with countless creatures. One of the most spectacular is the whale shark, not just because of its size, the largest fish in the world, but also the ...

West Australian Environment Minister Reece Whitby has called for an urgent briefing to understand the full extent of damage to Ningaloo Reef after a coral bleaching event.