Shark conservation on our expeditions is a defined job, not a label. Every Shark Conservation Expedition departure carries one Galápagos Whale Shark Project scientist onboard.
Guests contribute in two concrete ways: photo-ID submissions, and standardised observation and count protocols, including the survey method known as SharkCount.
Photo-ID works because the spot pattern behind a whale shark's gills is unique to the individual, and the images guests take go into Sharkbook.ai, the global photo-ID database the project contributes to.
Whale sharks are IUCN Red List Endangered. The project has been supported by Galápagos Shark Diving since 2019, through funding for satellite tags and tracking time, contributions to Sharkbook.ai, field logistics and data analysis.
Source: Galápagos Shark Diving's own description of the Shark Conservation Expedition programme and the Galápagos Whale Shark Project.