Overview
Whale shark tourism presents Utila residents with a key alternative livelihood and potential income. However, the reasons why these animals come to Utila are not clear nor how this population relates to others found in the Western Atlantic. To investigate this and to ensure that tourism does not adversely affect the behaviour of these giant creatures, fundamental information is needed on their population structure and biology to assist local and regional management strategies.

Current Research
At UCME we are working in conjunction with an international non-governmental organisation "Ecocean", and a local diving resort "Deep Blue Resort" to assess the population dynamics of Utila's whale sharks using specially designed image recognition software. Further, a series of ongoing studies will aim to identify what the sharks are feeding on and how they locate the feeding areas around the island.

UCME is also assisting researchers from the University of York and the Bay Islands Conservation Association to support acoustic tracking work of whale sharks around Utila as part of a regional initiative by the Wildlife Conservation Society to understand the movements of these animals.