Swimming With Giants: Are We Loving Whale Sharks Too Much?
Article written by Caroline Smith, Shark Angels Intern, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2026 Graduate, Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. Edited and reformatted by Jamie Shark Angel.
Study: Ecotourism impacts on the behavior of whale sharks: an experimental approach
An Unforgettable Experience for Us. But What About the Shark?
Swimming with whale sharks is a bucket-list experience for many travelers and ocean lovers alike. The allure of getting up close and personal with one of nature’s most magnificent creatures is hard to resist. But is the experience as positive for whale sharks as it is for us?
Research into whale shark ecotourism is helping scientists understand how these encounters can affect shark behavior—and how we can become better conservationists and more respectful visitors in their ocean.
Up Close and Personal but Maybe Too Close?
Ocean lovers and tourists travel from far and wide for the chance to swim alongside whale sharks. Seeing one in the wild can be a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For the sharks, however, it might not always be such smooth sailing.
Scientists set out to examine how ecotourism affects whale shark behavior and whether changes to the way people approach and interact with them could reduce potential negative impacts.
The question isn’t whether we should experience whale sharks in the wild. It’s how we can make sure those encounters don’t come at the sharks’ expense.
When a Whale Shark Changes Course, It May Be Telling Us Something
An influx of tourists into whale shark habitat can disrupt natural feeding behavior and cause the animals to exhibit potential stress responses.
These behaviors can include:
Sudden changes in direction
Increased vigilance
Faster swimming speeds
Diving
Reduced feeding
Vigilance occurs when a whale shark closes its mouth, indicating that it is no longer feeding and turns its head toward a swimmer or boat.
Why is that significant? Similar behavior can occur when whale sharks respond to predators in the area.
Reduced feeding is also concerning. If repeated tourism encounters cause whale sharks to spend less time feeding, scientists worry that the cumulative effects could potentially have longer-term consequences.
A whale shark that stops feeding, changes direction, speedsp or dives may not simply be swimming away, it may be responding to stress.
Could Tourism Be Driving Whale Sharks Away?
Scientists are also concerned about how increasing tourism could affect where whale sharks choose to spend their time.
In locations including Australia and Belize, researchers have observed decreases in whale shark sightings as tourism has increased. One possibility is that the sharks may be moving to other waters when conditions become less favorable.
With whale sharks currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN, understanding how human activity affects their behavior and habitat is especially important.
There’s Another Side to the Story: Tourism Can Help Protect Sharks, Too
Whale shark tourism isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, responsible ecotourism can provide significant benefits for both sharks and people.
Whale shark tourism generates an estimated $140 million worldwide and can be an important source of income for local communities. Travelers who come to see whale sharks also support hotels, restaurants, shops, tour operators and other local businesses.
Ecotourism can also draw attention to conservation issues and create a greater appreciation for the natural world. That awareness can lead to meaningful conservation measures, including the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where whale sharks and other marine animals receive protection from threats such as fishing.
And there is another benefit that is especially important for sharks.
Swimming with sharks in the wild can transform the way people see animals they may once have feared. A peaceful encounter with a whale shark can reveal an entirely different side of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood groups of animals.
But ecotourism is a conservation tool only when the animals themselves are treated with respect.
Seeing a shark in the wild can turn fear into fascination. But conservation begins with making the shark’s well-being part of the experience.
How Do You Measure a Whale Shark’s Reaction to Us?
To better understand the impact of tourism, scientists created a mock tourist encounter and observed how whale sharks responded at different stages of the interaction.
After spotting a whale shark at the surface, a boat slowly approached, moving either alongside or behind the shark. A swimmer wearing snorkel equipment then entered the water and monitored the animal.
Researchers recorded the shark’s behavior at four key moments:
As soon as the whale shark was spotted
After the boat approached
After the swimmer entered the water
After the swimmer left the water
Researchers looked for changes in behaviors including foraging, vigilance, diving and swimming acceleration.
The experiment allowed them to ask an important question: Does a whale shark behave differently once we enter its world?
The Sharks Changed Their Behavior and the Effects Didn’t End When Tourists Left
The scientists found that whale sharks showed increased stress-related responses in the presence of both boats and swimmers.
Those behaviors increased when the sharks were approached by swimmers.
There could be several explanations for the differences among individual sharks. Some animals may have been experiencing humans for the first time, while others may have become accustomed to repeated tourist encounters and therefore reacted less strongly.
But one finding was particularly important: whale sharks were less likely to feed after an encounter with tourists.
Changes in their swimming patterns also suggested that some sharks were attempting to move away from swimmers.
Researchers believe some of these stress responses may be cumulative, meaning they build over the course of an encounter. In other words, swimmers may not necessarily be more stressful than boats on their own. Instead, entering the water could add another layer of disturbance after the shark has already reacted to an approaching vessel.
And Then Researchers Noticed Something Else
The tourists left.
The behavioral effects didn’t necessarily leave with them.
Even after swimmers exited the water, whale sharks were still less likely to feed.
That suggests the effects of an encounter may linger beyond the few minutes tourists actually spend alongside the animal.
Even after tourists left the water, whale sharks were still less likely to feed – suggesting the effects of an encounter may continue after we’re gone.
The Good News: We Can Be Better Guests in Their Ocean
None of this means people have to stop experiencing whale sharks in the wild.
Instead, the research shows why how we encounter them matters.
Ocean lovers can still swim alongside these incredible animals while giving them the space they need to behave naturally. Maintaining a respectful distance allows whale sharks to continue feeding and gives them greater control over the encounter.
If a whale shark begins displaying signs of stress, divers and snorkelers can stop approaching, increase their distance or exit the water.
Scientists have also proposed broader ways to reduce the potential impact of tourism, including:
Limiting the number of tour boats allowed around whale sharks
Shortening viewing seasons
Increasing education about responsible ecotourism
Exploring alternative viewing opportunities, such as land-based observation using telescopes
These measures could allow communities to continue benefiting from whale shark tourism while reducing unnecessary disturbances to the animals.
The Best Encounter Is One the Shark Gets to Choose
Seeing a whale shark in the wild can be extraordinary. For some people, a single encounter can change the way they think about sharks and the ocean forever.
That makes ecotourism a potentially powerful force for conservation.
But sharing the ocean with wildlife also comes with responsibility.
We are visitors in their world. Giving whale sharks enough space to feed, swim and choose whether to remain near us allows these encounters to inspire people without unnecessarily disrupting the animals that made the experience possible.
The best whale shark encounter isn’t necessarily the closest one. It’s the one where the shark gets to keep being a shark.
