Whale shark sighting in Sipadan shows importance of divers' role in marine conservation, says NGO

Citizen science can help with identification and tracking of endangered whale sharks. -Gonzalo Araujo/Lamave

KOTA KINABALU: The sighting of a whale shark at Pulau Sipadan waters, initially sighted some 800km away in neighbouring Philippines, has showcased the unique role divers can play in marine data collection for conservation.

It was the first documented movement of a whale shark between Philippines and Malaysia via citizen science where in this case, divers worldwide documented individual whale sharks for an online database.