She has developed a new code of conduct for the island that aims to protect these endangered creatures by ensuring tourism is responsible and sustainable.

Oceanographic spoke with Stella during the week her new study on whale shark aggregations in Madagascar was published. With news of her research shining a spotlight onto the conservation work she and her team at the Madagascar Whale Shark Project are doing, we talked to her about how she is working to encourage positive ecotourism and responsible whale shark encounters.

Oceanographic Magazine (OM): Tell us a little bit about your recent study.

Stella Diamant (SD):Our new study, which was published in the journal Endangered Species Research, revealed that Madagascar is a feeding hotspot for  juvenile whale sharks. When I first arrived on the island, scientists didn’t know there was a whale shark aggregation here so it’s pretty exciting to be able to prove it. When I started my research project, some sharks had been seen around Nosy Be but less than a dozen individuals had been identified on WhaleShark.org. Now, we know there are more than 300.

OM: Why are your findings so important?

SD:Because there has never been a published study on whale shark populations in Madagascar before – ours was a world first. Also, the sharks we identified haven’t been seen anywhere else before which adds a bit of mystery – where have they come from? – but also shows that we need to make a clear effort to protect them and their habitat.

OM: Do people choose Madagascar just for the whale sharks?

SD:Yes, they do. I think this is the case more and more. It’s still a bit of a secret spot and being difficult to get to and somewhat politically unstable might protect it actually from over-tourism, but I think the whale sharks are enticing people to visit.

OM: Why are you so passionate about protecting whale sharks?

SD:Whale sharks – the largest fish in the world – are a huge asset for eco-tourism, particularly in poor countries, but they’re threatened by many different things like overfishing and ocean pollution. The species is categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, which, of course, means that it’s important for us to protect them. However, this is even more important because they are so slow growing: we estimate it takes around 30 years for them to reach sexual maturity. So we need to make sure they can reach the age that they’re able to reproduce. On a personal level, they’re such beautiful creatures and I find it so humbling to swim with them.

OM: There are lots of places in the world where you can see whale sharks. What’s so special about the whale shark interactions in Madagascar?

SD: The really interesting thing about the Nosy Be area of Madagascar is the tuna aggregations. Here, you’ll find whale sharks vertically feeding with huge bait balls of bonito all around them. We think the tuna and whale shark work together to maximise the amount of bait fish they’re both able to eat. As well as the incredible whale shark encounters, we also see mobula rays, turtles and Omura’s whales, which is pretty special.

OM: How did people react when you first started telling them about the whale shark population you’d found?

SD:Initially, the other scientists I spoke to were surprised. They assumed they would have known about it if there was such a significant population and that someone would have sent a big team there.

OM: You’ve also designed a code of conduct for whale shark encounters – what was involved in that?

SD:First, Simon Pierce from the Marine Megafauna Foundation visited and gave a talk on why a code of conduct is so important. Then, our operator partner, Baleines Rand’eau, hosted a discussion with operators while I was away during the off-season to talk about what guidelines people stick to elsewhere and how we should adapt this for Madagascar specifically. I then used the outcomes from this discussion to design a code of conduct document which we translated into French, English, Italian and Malagasy (all the languages of Nosy Be) before spending two months visiting every single operator that jumps into the water with the whale sharks. When I talked with people I explained how they should behave with the sharks and why this is so important – for their customers to have a better experience as well as to protect the sharks themselves. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. We’ve left printed copies with all the operators too for their customers to read.

OM: What was the initial reception like?

SD:I think initially people were a bit unsure about what it was and didn’t want to be told how to do things but I’ve tried to approach them in a way that shows them I’m here to help. It’s been going surprisingly well – especially because there’s so much evidence now that it makes such a difference for the operator as well because people will have longer and better encounters with the sharks.

OM: What has been the most challenging part of implementing a whale shark code of conduct?

SD: Rolling out the guideline once they’ve been agreed to was actually quite easy. The challenge was convincing people it’s for their benefit! And of course some people never listen, I’ve been struggling to collaborate with one operator in particular.

OM: And have you noticed a difference since you began implementing the code of conduct?

SD: Yes! It’s been really special to see how much things changed once the operators understood the reasons behind why we should behave in a certain way with the sharks. Now, if there’s a shark in the water, boats will wait so the shark isn’t crowded by too many boats at once. This means the sharks are relaxed and hang around for much longer. Obviously this is better for the tourists too and I love seeing everyone smiling and happy because they’ve had such an amazing encounter – not to mention being able to take incredible photos without other people’s fins in the way!

OM: What type of things do you recommend in your code of conduct?

SD:Ideally, there should only be one boatload of people with no more than 10 people in the water with a shark at a time. Other boats should wait until the first group’s encounter has finished. The boats themselves should stay at least 25 metres away when they have their motor running and if the shark gets any closer than that they should turn the engine off to minimise the risk of a boat strike – or potentially hurting a snorkeler.

The swimmers themselves should give the sharks plenty of space: stay around three metres away from the shark and never try to touch or “ride” them. We also advise against using selfie sticks in the water.