The remote island of St Helena, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean has discovered that more than half (58%) of the Whale Sharks (locally termed 'Bone Sharks') identified in its waters this year have never been recorded anywhere in the world before.

This year's St Helena National Trust Marine Team research has been taking place since January 2021 via dedicated boat surveys across the island's Marine Protected Area, which spans 444,916 square kilometres, which is almost the size of France. Following the research and identification, 21 Whale Sharks identified are brand new to the global database, 'Wildbook'.

Each Whale Shark has a unique spot pattern behind its gills and similar to a human fingerprint, this spot pattern helps the researchers identify each individual, assisting them to understand how many of these endangered sharks – the largest fish in the world – are in swimming in St Helena's waters.

In addition to the Whale Sharks, the team also identified Chilean devil rays, a small pod of bottlenose dolphins and secured the first evidence of a third turtle species in St Helena's waters – the Leatherback turtle. The team also witnessed a rare 'bait ball vortex' - which occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation - that completely engulfed a 9m male Whale Shark.

Marine Officer James Wylor-Owen recently moved to St Helena from the UK. This year's research provided him with his first experience of St Helena's unique population of Whale Sharks. He commented, “Encountering St Helena's famous Whale Sharks was an absolute highlight of my career in conservation. As if swimming alongside the world's largest fish wasn't incredible enough, being joined by Chilean devil rays and a pod of bottlenose dolphins was a stunning snapshot of St Helena's pristine marine environment.”

Whale Sharks migrate to St Helena every year between December and March and can often be seen amid the moorings in Jamestown harbour. As the gentle, inquisitive giants swim up to the surface, snorkelling with the Whale Sharks is a great attraction although scuba diving with them is prohibited. Visitors can also expect to see an array of fish, dolphins, whales and rays on snorkelling, diving tours and boat trips available.

Number of Whale Sharks in St Helena's waters this year:

• Total number of sharks identified: 35
• Total number of male sharks: 21
• Total number of female sharks: 9
• Total number of unknown sex: 7
• Returning sharks (re-sighted from previous years): 7
• Total number of brand-new sharks identified: 21
• New total population for St Helena: 312

The St Helena National Trust Marine Team works closely with a network of citizen scientists from St Helena Island, including local fishermen, divers and boat operators. These local people provide insights to the number of Whale Sharks that are present in the waters and of their location, which helps to maximise the efficiency of the search efforts in the Marine Protected Area.

For more information, visit: www.sthelenatourism.com 

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Notes to editors:

For any media enquiries, please contact: sthelena@finnpartners.com

For further quotes and for images specifically of St Helena's Whale Sharks and research, please contact: amanda.constantine@trust.org.sh