The Dorsal Fin

YouTube user Rodolpheholler recently uploaded this nice little bit of footage shot in Hanifaru lagoon in the Maldives. The video features some nice human interaction with mantas. The footage is capped off with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) surrounded by mantas.

Eric Cheng posted some amazing whale shark footage to his blog/journal yesterday. The footage was shot off Isla Mujeres, and according to Cheng’s journal they had over 500 whale sharks around the island. Cheng’s work never ceases to amaze. In addition to the video above, Cheng has posted an exceptional close-up shot of a “whale shark gulp” in both 2D and anaglyph 3D versions in his recent blog/journal entry.

For more about Eric Cheng check out his website EricCheng.com. Additionally, you can view some of his amazing photography on his Flickr Photostream. Cheng also owns and runs WetPixel.com, an online community for underwater photography and videography.

Tracking data from “Sammy” the female whale shark that was reportedly released from Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm on March 18 has been retrieved by Mote Marine Laboratory, according to a gulfnews.com article. The whale shark was tagged with a pop-up satellite tracking tag upon her release. The tag was expected to record data for approximately 3 months, but it popped up after one month. It is unknown why the tag detached early, but data retrieved from the tracking tag indicated what Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of Mote’s Center for Shark Research described as “normal behavior similar to what we’ve observed in other whale sharks.”

Not long after the reported release of the whale shark, some animal rights groups were requesting evidence that the shark had actually been released, calling into question the “secretive” nature of The Palm’s release of “Sammy” back into the wild. The data retrieved by Mote Marine Laboratory provides scientific evidence that the whale was not only released but exhibited normal behavior for at least 33 days after her release.

Mote has posted a map of the released whale shark’s tracking data.

In light of all the oil-filled footage that we’ve seen over the past month, I thought it might be refreshing to share some relatively pristine whale shark footage. This video is from YouTube user OceansBelowKohTao and was shot at Koh Tao, Thailand in 2008. It features some exceptional underwater whale shark footage. Happy viewing!

YouTube user eclundpoland recently posted this shark diving video, which contains both video footage and some stills of whale shark encounters at the Galapagos, along with brief footage of a few hammerheads at the beginning. The footage was shot this month and offers a small glimpse of the abundant wildlife that the Galapagos Islands have to offer.