Whale shark tourism generates conservation funding but can disturb the animals it aims to protect. Understanding best practices helps minimise welfare harm while supporting these gentle giants.
Hand-feeding operations condition whale sharks to associate boats with food, disrupting natural foraging patterns and increasing exposure to vessel strikes. Close-approach snorkelling and diving stress individuals and can cause sunburn on surfacing animals. Boat traffic at aggregation sites leads to propeller scarring. Well-managed tourism with strict approach distances and no feeding offers a lower-harm model that still supports conservation funding.