Whale sharks attract wildlife tourism globally but face welfare concerns from boat strikes, touching, and the effects of concentrated tourist activity on their behaviour.
Whale sharks struck by tourist boat propellers suffer severe lacerations that become infected and may be fatal. Animals approached too closely show avoidance diving behaviour, disrupting their surface feeding. Touching by tourists causes stress responses and may transmit skin pathogens. Tourism-associated changes in aggregation behaviour can disrupt feeding efficiency. However, well-regulated whale shark tourism provides economic justification for protection that may reduce poaching pressure. The welfare calculus depends heavily on the quality of tourist management at each site.