In the crystal-clear waters off Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef, a group of snorkelers huddle together in eager anticipation. Sunlight dances on the surface, casting mesmerizing patterns on the sandy seabed below. The ocean, stretching out in every direction, seemed infinite in its shades of blue. As they bob gently on the surface, snorkels in mouths …
In 2014, a remarkable encounter with a whale shark sparked a journey of discovery off the coast of Madagascar’s Nosy Be. Little did marine enthusiast and researcher, Stella Diamant, know that this encounter would lead to a groundbreaking initiative in citizen science. Fast forward to today, and the results are nothing short of extraordinary: the …
In spite of their size, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are filter feeders, feeding on plankton, small fish, and other microscopic organisms. To capture their prey, they typically swim slowly near the water’s surface, opening their massive mouths up to filter large volumes of water. In its throat, specialized structures called gill rakers filter out food …