Key elements for managing whale shark tourism in the Gulf of California

Whale shark tourism in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, has significantly increased from 26 authorized boats in 2006 to 109 in 2013, yet the mean yearly abundance of sharks remains low at 56. A decade-long monitoring program (2004–2015) revealed that 54% of identified sharks had fresh injuries, primarily from boat strikes, despite the implementation of a Code of Conduct in 2006 and annual training for tour operators. While injury rates decreased by 26% between 2009–2011 due to better enforcement, they rose again (to 64%) in 2014–2015, likely due to prolonged shark residency. The study underscores the need for stricter government oversight and community engagement to mitigate harm to whale sharks, which are critical to La Paz Bay's economy and must be protected as a key habitat.

Ramírez-Macías, D., & Saad, G. (2016). Key elements for managing whale shark tourism in the Gulf of California. The 4th International Whale Shark Conference. https://doi.org/10.5339/qproc.2016.iwsc4.47