Where we work
Honduras
At Utila, sightings from 1999 to 2011 identified 95 whale sharks, and later regional research showed that these sharks also visit Belize and Mexico.
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) have been recorded in every month of the year at Utila, a small island at the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Working with Utila Whale Shark Research, we analyzed more than a decade of sightings and identified 95 individual whale sharks; the results were published in the Journal of Fish Biology in 2013.
Between 2011 and 2013, Dr. Simon Pierce ran whale shark research weeks on the island with Deep Blue Resort. Utila’s sightings subsequently contributed to a 2017 study of whale shark movements across the western Atlantic, which found the strongest connections between sites in Honduras, Belize, and Mexico, although most sharks were seen again where they were first identified. Our Utila study is now complete: read more about our Utila Whale Shark Project.
Completed projects
Utila, Bay Islands, HondurasUtila Whale Shark ProjectTwelve years of sightings identified 95 whale sharks at Utila, and later regional work showed that these sharks move between Honduras, Belize, Mexico, and the United States.What we work on
Snorkelers on boat surveys photographed each shark's spot pattern, allowing us to distinguish 95 individual whale sharks. Most were juveniles in transit, with a modeled mean residency of about 12 days.
Sharks seen at Utila also visit Belize and Mexico, and two sharks made repeated journeys of at least 1,600 km (990 miles) between Honduras or Belize and the US Gulf coast. The Utila study suggested that the region be treated as a single unit for management.
Three of Utila's sharks carried large propeller scars. The study suggested restricting the speed and access of large vessels where the sharks feed, along with a code of conduct for whale shark tourism.