Almost four years back, while reading about my new project, I came across a photo of a Whale Shark, a silhouette of the fish as it gracefully swam above the diver. The moment was stunning with the sun rays beaming down the blue waters, creating a magnificent halo.

It was dreamlike. Somehow, it made me feel both intimidated and hopeful. It reminded me of the bigger things in life and that this world is worth caring for. A year later, I got the opportunity to travel to Lakshadweep to conduct a campaign to save the Whale Shark. I was happy to have been chasing the dream.

The photo that is a dream! | Credits: Gregor Kervina

Conservation campaigns, unlike political ones, are far more intricate and need bridging of the connection between cultural belief and the necessary action. The photo had already delivered the inspiration, but I needed more first accounts to support it. The stay in Minicoy, the southernmost island of Lakshadweep was an adventure by itself, a story for another time, but that is when I met Toussif bhai. All boats and ships were canceled due to a cyclone warning. The sky was in dramatic broody blue with dark clouds and the sea looked greener, apprehensively I took a walk to the jetty. I met a familiar face from the single breakfast joint on the island. Certainly, he was curious about my presence and the discussion went back to fishing, Whale sharks, and Star plus. Taussif bhai stated “I have worked in the Cruises so I have seen Whale Sharks a lot. You see this lagoon is too small for them, only when you go to the sea they come closer to your ship. Maybe they come closer because the ship stirs the water and they get more food. They eat the sea- grasses you know!” Abdul bhai, a fisher from Kavaratti, Lakshadweep said that they usually swim with the boat for a long time, so close that we can pet it. The species does have a striking presence, in either its appearance or its habits. The contrasting spots of white on the light blue/ grey skin and the magnitude of its presence are apparently unforgettable. The dream kept building on…

WTI and Whale Shark- a tale of 20 years

For Whale Shark, life hasn’t been easy. In the late 90s, whale sharks were rampantly targeted along the coast of Gujarat. They were colloquially called “barrel”, due to their sheer size. In fact, whale sharks are the largest fish species in the world. The fishers could earn around 3-4 lakhs by one single landing. It was good money. They were specifically in demand for their liver oil, which was in high demand in offshore markets. However, the rest of the fish didn’t have much value.

Whale shark caught in fishing nets offshore Karnataka | Photo by Raju S (local fisherman)

Mike Pandey, an eminent wildlife conservation filmmaker, highlighted this brutal slaughter in his documentary “Shores of Silence”. Not only the documentary won the prestigious Panda Awards (Popularly known as the Green Oscar) but also managed to create a stir in the wildlife conservation fraternity. In 2001, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) along with Pandey lobbied for the legal protection of the Whale Shark and were able to place in the Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Whale Shark became the first fish to be listed under Schedule I and now had the same level of protection as tigers, lions and elephant by law.

In the following year, continued efforts got the whale shark placed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, it was the fishers who needed to be convinced for the protection of the species. With financials playing a role, it wasn’t an easy job. But, something had to be done.

Vhali – the Dear One

In 2004 WTI set the ‘Save the Whale Shark campaign’ rolling along the Gujarat coast – The strategy was to leverage the Indian traditional and cultural ethics of ‘non-violence’ (Ahimsa) and treating guests as gods (Atithi Devo Bhava).

Morari Bapu, a popular spiritual leader, and the campaign spokesperson, equated the Whale Shark to a daughter of Gujarat. After all, these were the waters where the fish would come to breed and nurture their new-born pups. Spinning the emotional connect with the species was that of a pregnant daughter returning to her parent’s home to give birth. The cultural connection of the campaign worked wonders and slowly started gathering momentum among local fishermen. Alongside being illegal to hunt a whale shark anymore, the cultural push to save the species quickly brought forth a change. From being called the ‘barrel’, the whale shark was now referred to as Vhali, or the ‘dear one’ in the local language.

Save the Whale Shark Campaign in Gujarat | Photo by WTI

However, even freeing accidentally caught whale sharks required cutting off the fishing nets, leading to a loss of both property (nets) and fish. To address this, Gujarat Forest Department released a new policy to provide compensation to the affected fishers.

Since 2005, Gujarat fishers along the coast released 851 accidentally entangled whale sharks. And Gujarat became a safe haven for the gentle giant, but free-swimming fish does not restrict themselves to political boundaries. To assure imminent safety, the learning of this successful public-private partnership conservation effort in Gujarat was extended to the coast of Karnataka, Kerala, and Lakshadweep.

The Karnataka Chapter

We launched the second chapter of the project in Karnataka on the 30^th of August to commemorate International Whale Shark Day. The inauguration was in Mangalore, a important port town in Dakshin or South Kannada to liaise and raise support of the fishers. The aim was to motivate the fishers to release the accidentally caught whale shark back into the ocean. It was humbling that the event was graced by Shri Angara Sullia, Honourable Minister of Fisheries, Port, and Inland Department, Karnataka. We also witnessed the support of the Fisheries and Forest Department of Karnataka. Vivek Menon, Founder, Trustee, and Executive Director of WTI bridged the connection between our conservation effort with the well-known legend of Matsydevata. I was inspired by Mr. Chetan Bengre, Trawl Boat Fisherman Association President, Mangalore speech, who spoke about the importance of traditional knowledge that paves the road to sustainability. He addressed the crowd saying “For generations, we have been told to follow a few things, now that they are scientifically supported, we should abide by them”. Even though the launch is the first step toward a long road, nevertheless I hope it stands for an empowered conservation future.

Mangalore Landing Site | Photo by Madhumay Mallik

Whale or a Shark?

For the next three days, we covered the coastline of 325 km long stretching between Mangalore of the Dakshin Kannada and Karwar of Uttar Kannada. While the campaign was to be done all along, we focussed our messaging on the three major ports along the nine major harbours. Starting on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi, our first stop was Mangalore. Small wooden boats and big trawlers all queued up along the harbour, as most of them came home for the celebration. While mending the torn nets and oiling their gears they spoke to us about their experience of fishing in the open oceans, the effect of covid, and the inflation. The fishermen seemed to be well aware of the whale shark and the legal protection of the species.

Our next stop, Malpe, situated in the Udupi district, is the biggest fishing harbour and an important port in Karnataka. Around 2000 boats were docked in the harbour with flared flags of bright colours. Very often than not, the fishers refer to the Whale Shark as “Teemengale” which means Whale. Rehman Bhai from Malpe stated, “Most of the big fishes are sent to Kerala. The rates are must higher than here”. The initial interaction with the Fishers Association suggested the presence of a basic awareness level and familiarity with the existence of the fish. Moving towards the Uttar Kannada, was the next stop – Gangolli port. While enquiring about the Whale Shark, Raju Fisherman of Gangolli, shared a photo and his experience. He says” We sometimes find them in the open waters swimming alongside our boat. They get trapped in the net and we release it afterward. Often times it is too late for the fish.” Raju also shared a few photographs of the whale shark when he had accidentally caught it in his trawl nets. The last stop was Honnavar port, in Uttar Kannada. Under the Karnataka Maritime Board proposal, Honnavar is proposed to be one of the biggest ports in Asia. In a lot of places, the fish is called “Shrav” which means sharks, with that the gentle giant is portrayed in the vicious light of a predator. The reputation of sharks has been equated to monsters in Hollywood movies – bloodthirsty, predators looming in the unknown frontier of the sea resulting in panic or hatred towards certain species.

Whale Shark | Photo by Simon Pierce

Whale Shark still stays the underdog of the oceans, rarely seen and only heard by word of mouth. Even with such a majestic presence, the competition seems to be harsh in the marine world to be the popular one. Factors like the lesser popular scuba diving spots, murky water, and the misunderstood name of a ‘Whale’ and a ‘Shark’ may play some role!

Whatever the case is, my ongoing quest of spotting a whale shark in the ocean and swim alongside is yet to be fulfilled. Every beach vacation comes with the excitement of seeing the ‘fantastic beast’ since they frequent the coasts of India, is it safe to say, I know ‘where to find ‘them’! Join me as I continue my quest to actually live the moment that started it all!

Saymanti is currently working in the Natural Heritage Campaigns Division of WTI. She is passionate about the nature and the cultural history.