ECOCEAN Whaleshark PhotoID Library

Hi folks-

Just want to introduce myself and plug the whale shark research project I'm working on. I'm a PADI Divemaster and web programmer working on the ECOCEAN Whale Shark PhotoID Library. We collect whale shark photographs and use digital image spot-pattern matching (from the skin of the shark) and visual examination of significant scarring to identify and group whale shark encounters and sightings with individual animals. Our new method of photo-tagging (rather than traditional invasive spear tagging) is showing an excellent ability to identify two photos of the same whale shark from a large field of nonmatches. Our image tagging requires left- and right-side photos of the animal from the fifth gill to the mid-dorsal region. We can use these virtual/digital tags to better understand whale shark migration and behavior and to lobby host governments for their protection.

I would like to encourage you all to submit photos and log book data of your whale shark encounters to our library at:

http://photoid.whaleshark.org

Our online submission form not only allows you to send in data and photos, but it also has built-in image copyright protection technology to protect your images and your rights. The images of course will only be used for pure research.

I hope those of you who have taken photos of whale sharks in the past and those of you who see them in the future will think of us and help us in our research.

Sincerely,

Jason Holmberg

Programmer

ECOCEAN Whale Shark PhotoID Library

http://photoid.whaleshark.org

P.S. I'm going down to the Galapagos in the Fall, and I want to make sure I get the best digital images of whale sharks possible. Can someone recommend a solid digital camera and housing setup for under $1000? Thanks in advance.

I'm hoping to get out to the Ningaloo whalesharks in a couple of months. I like the idea of photo tagging rather than the spear-in-the-side method, which always looks very invasive.

BTW, is there a problem with flash and whalesharks? I have a feeling that they don't like people using strobe around here for whaleshark photos.

I think you'll be struggling to get a camera and housing for under $1000. Maybe second hand on ebay (there's a Nikon 990 with housing for $400 at the moment).