Abstract:
Whale sharks aggregate in predictable seasonal aggregations across the tropics. South Ari
Atoll in the Maldives is one of a few year-‐round aggregation sites. Here boating traffic
matches the whale shark hotspot, increasing the probability of anthropogenic injury. Whale
sharks are reported to remain faithful to this aggregation site following injury, despite the
costs of injury and the risk of re-‐injury. However, the impacts of injury on site fidelity and
residency behaviour are not fully understood. Encounter data from the Maldives Whale
Shark Research Programme were analysed to assess the impact of injury on site fidelity in
whale sharks. There was no change in geographic site fidelity as a result of injury, but there
were changes in residency timings. Injured resident whale sharks spent significantly longer
at the atoll (+73 days ±8.6), less time absent from the atoll (-‐158 days ±23.0) and were seen
more consistently (+2 residency periods ±0.3) than non-‐injured whale sharks. The residency
duration, return rate and number of residency periods increased with increasing injury
number and severity, whilst absence duration decreased. This implies a cost to injury, with
whale sharks remaining in areas of high productivity to recover and spending less time in
their pelagic phases. It highlights the importance of the South Ari Atoll aggregation, as these
whale sharks do not leave, despite the risk of re-‐injury. This emphasises the need for the
management of anthropogenic activities at aggregation hotspots, to reduce the injury rate
and subsequent impacts on fitness.
