Whale Shark Monitoring

The Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation together with the Ningaloo whale shark tourism industry have been closely involved with monitoring whale sharks at Ningaloo Marine Park since 1995. The following monitoring is being carried out:
- Whale shark tourism industry logbooks
- Spotter plane logbooks and GPS track and waypoint data collection
- Aerial behavioural observations

Data from tour operator logbooks has proven useful in gaining an understanding of trends in the whale shark industry. Based on logbook data, the total number of whale shark interactions during the paying season (1st April to 31st May) has reduced by around 36% from 1996 to 2007. This figure needs to be taken with caution as analysis of spotter plane data indicates a shifting peak of whale shark observations to outside the paying season into the months of June and July. Full season data in logbooks was only collected from 2004 onwards. Whale shark interaction success rate for tours has declined slightly, averaging approximately 80%. Sex ratio ranged from 2:1 to 4:1 males:females. Analysis of observed length estimates indicates a 1.5m reduction in mean length. Whale sharks observed showed a trend for direction of travel along the north-south gradient with a greater northward bound favour. Anecdotal reports that whale shark numbers are declining are not supported by an analysis of the aerial spotter plane data. Aerial behavioural observation work was initiated in 2007 as an alternative method of collecting behavioural response to interactions other than the industry logbooks.

西澳大利亚州环境与保护部（Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation）与宁格罗鲸鲨旅游业自1995年起便深度参与宁格罗海洋公园（Ningaloo Marine Park）内的鲸鲨监测工作。当前开展的监测内容包括：
- 鲸鲨旅游业日志
- 观测侦察机日志、GPS轨迹与航点数据采集
- 空中行为观测

旅行社日志数据已被证实可有效助力解析鲸鲨旅游行业的发展趋势。基于日志数据，付费季（4月1日至5月31日）内的鲸鲨互动总次数在1996年至2007年间下降了约36%。但该统计结果需谨慎解读，因为侦察机数据分析显示，鲸鲨观测的峰值时段已从付费季转移至6月与7月。日志的全季监测数据仅自2004年起开始采集。旅游团的鲸鲨互动成功率略有下降，平均约为80%。鲸鲨的性别比例介于2:1至4:1（雄性:雌性）之间。对观测体长估算值的分析显示，鲸鲨的平均体长减少了1.5米。观测到的鲸鲨呈现出沿南北梯度迁徙的趋势，且更偏向北向移动。有传闻称鲸鲨数量正在下降，但侦察机空中观测数据的分析结果并不支持这一说法。空中行为观测工作于2007年启动，作为替代方案，用于采集行业日志之外的鲸鲨与人类互动的行为响应数据。