Whale Shark Research in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
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Whale Shark Research in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Whale shark encounters experienced by scientists at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory prompted the initiation of their ongoing research activities and development of this website. In September 2002, the scientists sighted two whale sharks swimming among a mixed school of yellowfin, blackfin and skipjack tuna southeast of the Mississippi River Delta. In June 2006, GCRL scientists along with scientists from NOAA Fisheries Service encountered an aggregation of 16 whale sharks. The following pages contain information about the 2006 encounter. Once thought to be rare in the Gulf of Mexico, whale sharks may be more common than previously thought.
