Abstract
Whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, are known to aggregate to feed in a small number of locations in tropical and subtropical waters. Here we document a newly discovered major aggregation site for whale sharks within the Al Shaheen oil field, 90 km off the coast of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf. Whale sharks were observed between April and September, with peak numbers observed between May and August. Density estimates of up to 100 sharks within an area of 1 km(2) were recorded. Sharks ranged between four and eight metres' estimated total length (mean 6.92 ± 1.53 m). Most animals observed were actively feeding on surface zooplankton, consisting primarily of mackerel tuna, Euthynnus affinis, eggs.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Behavior, Animal*
-
Feeding Behavior*
-
Female
-
Male
-
Oceans and Seas
-
Plankton
-
Population Density
-
Qatar
-
Seasons
-
Sharks*
Grants and funding
The research project was funded through the Qatar Ministry of Environment. Direct collaborators within the Qatar Ministry of Environment also provided advice, support in study design, data collection and analysis. DPR’s work on this manuscript was supported by funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation. SJP’s work on this manuscript was supported by the Shark Foundation and private donors. The journal publication fees for this manuscript were provided by Maersk Oil. All other funders, apart from collaborators from the Qatar Ministry of Environment, had no role in the preparation or decision to publish the manuscript.