Data from: Regional movements of satellite-tagged whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Gulf of Aden

To gain insight into whale shark (Rhincodon typus) movement patterns in the Western Indian Ocean, we deployed eight pop-up satellite tags at an aggregation site in the Arta Bay region of the Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti in the winter months of 2012, 2016 and 2017. Tags revealed movements ranging from local-scale around the Djibouti aggregation site, regional movements along the coastline of Somaliland, movements north into the Red Sea, and a large-scale (>1000 km) movement to the east coast of Somalia, outside of the Gulf of Aden. Vertical movement data revealed high occupation of the top ten meters of the water column, diel vertical movement patterns and deep diving behaviour. Long-distance movements recorded both here and in previous studies suggest that connectivity between the whale sharks tagged at the Djibouti aggregation and other documented aggregations in the region are likely within annual timeframes. In addition, wide-ranging movements through multiple nations, as well as the high use of surface waters recorded, likely exposes whale sharks in this region to several anthropogenic threats, including targeted and bycatch fisheries and ship-strikes. Area-based management approaches focusing on seasonal hotspots offer a way forward in the conservation of whale sharks in the Western Indian Ocean.为深入解析西印度洋海域鲸鲨（Rhincodon typus）的移动模式，我们于2012、2016及2017年冬季，在吉布提塔朱拉湾阿尔塔湾区域的鲸鲨聚集位点，部署了8个卫星弹出式标签（pop-up satellite tags）。标签监测数据显示，鲸鲨的活动范围涵盖吉布提聚集位点周边的局域移动、沿索马里兰海岸线的区域移动、向北进入红海的跨区域移动，以及单次跨度超1000公里的长距离移动——抵达亚丁湾外侧的索马里东海岸。垂直运动监测数据表明，该区域鲸鲨高度集中于水体表层10米深度范围内，呈现昼夜垂直移动模式，并存在深潜行为。本研究与既往研究所记录的长距离移动现象共同表明，在吉布提聚集位点被标记的鲸鲨，与该区域其他已记录的鲸鲨聚集点之间，极有可能在年度时间尺度内存在种群连通性。此外，鲸鲨的大范围移动会途经多个国家，加之其高频利用表层水域，使得该区域的鲸鲨面临多重人为威胁，包括针对性捕捞、兼捕渔业以及船舶撞击事故。以季节性热点区域为核心的区域化管理策略，可为西印度洋海域鲸鲨的保护工作提供可行路径。