Why do we take photographs? Is aesthetic beauty the only value to photography? Can we use our tools and talents to create something with a deeper purpose? Although there are those who may disagree, objectively, our planet is in trouble. Let's consider, then, whether photography can save the world. I'm going to start with our oceans, where I'll specifically consider Galapagos Whale Shark Project and its goals to understand and protect whale sharks. I want to think that photography can help to save the world.
So Big, So Endangered
Whale sharks are the largest fish in our oceans and the largest non-whale animal on the planet. Whale sharks are massive, growing up to 62 feet and weighing in at over 40,000 pounds. Whale sharks are currently listed as endangered. Researchers estimate that there are only 100,000 to 200,000 whale sharks left in the oceans, about a 50% reduction over the last 75 years.
What Threatens Whale Sharks?
Despite the fact that whale shark fishing is globally banned, whale sharks are actively fished for food by industrialized fishing fleets. These fleets float just outside marine protected zones, luring the fish using fish aggregating devices.
Whale shark meat, gills, and liver are in high demand for products ranging from cosmetics to dietary supplements. Aside from targeted fishing, whale sharks are also victims of bycatch. Gillnetting and purse seines often scoop up whale sharks along with prized harvests such as tuna. Although fishers are required to release entangled whale sharks, retention and subsequent illegal trade is a very serious problem.
How Can Photography Help?
So how can photography help save the whale sharks? First, photography is an important tool for identifying and cataloging whale sharks. Photography contributes to our knowledge of whale sharks, which in turn contributes to our ability to protect them.
Second, if photographers care about whale sharks, they are likely willing to spend money on trips or donations that benefit the whale sharks. The photos taken on these trips increase the profile of whale sharks, which in turn provides greater protection. Money-making animals are a sustainable resource that are often protected by interested governments.
Helping Directly
Organizations like the Galapagos Whale Shark Project use photo identification to passively tag and track whale sharks. Satellite tagging can be notoriously difficult and expensive.
There are over 700 individual whale sharks that make the journey to the Galapagos each year. It isn’t possible to tag and track each and every one of these fish. For example, one of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project’s recent annual reports notes that a total of 12 individual whale sharks were sighted during 35 dives, with 6 sharks successfully tagged using SPLASH10-346 fin-mounted satellite tags. Tagging 6 of 700 whale sharks in the open ocean is a monumental achievement, but this success rate is unlikely to gather enough data to persuade governments to designate marine reserves. On top of the sheer number of whale sharks, satellite tags have limited battery life. It just wouldn’t be possible to depend on tracking each of these animals from the Galapagos to wherever else they spend their time. The Galapagos Whale Shark Project also reports that other, smaller sharks have been seen targeting satellite tags, bumping and ramming the strange-looking equipment. No wonder these tags often stop transmitting.
To collect data in such a wild environment, organizations like Galapagos Whale Shark Project utilize photo ID. Whale shark’s spots are like a fingerprint. By submitting images to Wildbook for Sharks - Global Whale Shark Data Base, photographers and citizen scientists can actually help scientists and researchers gain a deeper understanding of these gentle giants.
For example, a photographer on a dive in the Galapagos might take pictures of a whale shark that will later turn up on a dive and be photographed in Mexico or Madagascar. Our imagined photographer may have taken these photos simply because they love underwater photography and love capturing giant underwater animals in their natural environment. By taking the extra step of uploading the images to a data site, the photographer will help researchers understand the whale sharks better. Understanding a whale shark’s movement, ecosystem connectivity, and site fidelity helps scientists—and eventually governments—determine what areas need stronger protection. Uploaded photos have helped researchers learn that whale sharks are swimming an average of 80 days and 5,000 km to get to the Galapagos. This information could mean that governments are persuaded to institute wider zones of travel protection for this whale shark migration.
To date, photographers have helped to identify almost 70 of the Galapagos whale sharks. That’s almost 10%, a number that wouldn’t be possible with traditional tagging and tracking.
Helping Indirectly
A whale shark is only worth a few thousand dollars when it's harvested and sold off as raw ingredients. A live whale shark however is worth at least millions of dollars over its lifetime as an attraction. As charismatic megafauna, whale sharks attract underwater photographers from around the world. Outfits like Jenny Green’s Galapagos Shark Diving promote diving trips as trips with a purpose. The cost of Green’s trips includes a donation to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project. Green's guest photographers/divers, smitten with the whale sharks, often donate additional money on their own. More than this, Green also encourages all of the divers on her trips to contribute to the Wildbook for Sharks. These donations make Green the largest individual contributor to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention George Rapier, who contributed the first $300,000 to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project. Relatedly, the Kau family from Hong Kong has also been a large contributor to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project.
Given that everyone is a photographer these days, it is no surprise that, according to Jonathan Green of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, 30–50% of divers on normal trips to the Galapagos are photographers. On top of this, photography specialist trips see 100% of participants diving for the specific purpose of photography. Given that photographers are willing to spend to get the shot—which incidentally drives photography and ecotourism these days—it’s no surprise that governments would be interested in protecting animals that bring in foreign tourist dollars. Just by being interested in a trip to photograph whale sharks, photographers are supporting their protection—they are saving them.
Great photographs on social media also raise the profile of these megafauna, contributing to a greater awareness and a greater sense of public imperative. The appearance of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project on Blue Planet is the perfect example of how photography at the highest levels can raise the profile and protect whale sharks.
An Aside: Ultrasounds
As a brief aside, the Galapagos Whale Shark Project’s main focus of inquiry concerns the number of female whale sharks that transit the Pacific to get to the remote islands of the Galapagos. It turns out that most of these whale sharks are female. The prevailing theory is that these females may be pregnant. To prove this theory, the Galapagos Whale Shark Project is also conducting ultrasounds on whale sharks. Yes, you read that right—they’re performing ultrasounds on whale sharks, underwater. Free-swimming. Understanding why the whale sharks are in the Galapagos could help to expand the marine protected areas that shelter them.
Why Do Should We Care?
So, let’s imagine that photography can help save whale sharks—why should we care?
As charismatic megafauna, whale sharks are looked at by conservationists as an umbrella species. Aiming to save the whale sharks actually saves a variety of other species as well, such as sea turtles, rays, sharks, and other marine mammals. Making the oceans safe for whale sharks helps to protect the health of the oceans as a whole. Given how much of our food and oxygen come from oceans, it makes sense to protect them.
Whale sharks likely sequester about 33 tons of carbon. Considering that a whale shark that dies of natural causes sinks to the bottom of the ocean and is covered in other carbon-sequestering life, this carbon contained in a whale shark could be stored for millennia. David Attenborough has recently been advertising his newest film, Ocean. Ocean’s takeaway will be how a healthier ocean ecosystem would also be able to trap more carbon dioxide, helping protect the world from climate change, according to scientists. If saving whale sharks can help with protecting the entire planet, I’d argue that in this case, photography can save the world.
All images provided by Galapagos Whale Shark Project, Galapagos Shark Diving, and Martin Narvaez. Trailer to Galapagos - Secrets of the Ocean Giants provided by Jeffery Garriock
It would be wonderful if images of endangered species and places could capture people’s imagination in such a way that environmental issues become a priority. I’m afraid that’s no more than a pipe-dream. Just look what’s happening in the USA as regards environmental protection. The problem of focusing on one creature in my view is pointless as the problems we have affect every living creature, large and small alike. I just wonder how much environmental damage will be caused by all those flights that all those photographers will have to take, jetting here jetting there. If the author imagines that what he proposes is a valid way of protecting creatures then I despair. Protecting creatures should NOT depend on their ability to create some source of financial return. That kind of profit based thinking involving human self interest is exactly what conservation could do without.
I would propose the exact opposite and keep everyone including photographers well away from the whale sharks and let them be.
No creature lives in absolute isolation. What factors affect whale sharks also affect other creatures. I offer no solutions as no simple solution exists. Our situation is dire as everywhere you look creatures great and small are under threat. The common denominator is of course us, and the way humans live and that I’m afraid will not be altered by a few photographs. Unfortunately humans have a long track record of driving creatures to extinction motivated by self interest. In my opinion human self interest is the last thing to base any conservation project on.
I certainly appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts. Thank you.
I don't think we (as inhabitants of the Earth) are on the right track. I believe we're in agreement on that.
However, I don't think that people are willing to sacrifice for something they don't love. Unfortunately, I think that we love something through understanding it. That understanding, for humans, like it or not, often comes from interaction.
As for the use of financial return, I'm confident that that ship has sailed, humans are selfish and are unlikely to do anything if there isnt' something in it for them. Moreover, if there are only a handful of ways for some people on the planet to make money, if you want them to refrain from certain actions, you have to offer something in return. Few people are going to let their family starve to protect a species.