Whale Sharks in Koh Tao: Diving, Conservation, and the Thai Whale Shark Project
Whale sharks are the biggest sharks in the ocean. Despite their enormous size, these spotted giants are known for their calm, curious nature and playful behavior. They feed on tiny plankton and small fish. And they’re not just amazing to watch, they also keep the ocean healthy by balancing the marine ecosystem.
For anyone who loves diving on Koh Tao, seeing a whale shark is usually right at the top of their bucket list. Spotting one is never guaranteed, as it’s often seasonal and sometimes completely random. But that’s part of the magic; they’re usually seen at deeper dive sites, a bit further out like Chumphon Pinnacle, Southwest Pinnacle, Sail Rock, and Shark Island. But every now and then, they surprise us by showing up close to shore, swimming gently through the shallows around the island.
Here at New Heaven Reef Conservation, we’re passionate about protecting marine life, and one of our team members, Kirsty Magson, is doing something really special to help these giants. She’s the founder of the Thai Whale Shark organization, a conservation initiative focused on learning more about whale sharks and protecting them across Thailand’s waters in 2017. The organization started small by getting the Koh Tao diving community involved. Divers and snorkelers were encouraged to snap a photo of the left side of any whale shark they spotted. These photos are like fingerprints, helping researchers identify individual sharks, track their journeys, and figure out how many are visiting the waters around Koh Tao.
In 2020, Kirsty Magson took the next big step in her mission to protect whale sharks. After starting the project here on Koh Tao, she expanded the research area to include Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and even the Andaman Sea, covering almost every corner of Thailand’s waters. The goal was simple but powerful: to understand more about these gentle giants and connect ocean lovers across the country through marine conservation.
To make this happen, Kirsty created a Facebook community (Thai Whale Sharks) where divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts can share their whale shark sightings. By uploading photos of the left side of the shark, along with its size, sex, and the location where it was spotted. Members then identify individual whale sharks by looking at their spotted pattern and giving each one its own “ID”. This community-driven effort quickly grew and became a valuable resource for researchers studying whale shark movements and populations around Thailand.
The project gained even more momentum in 2024, when the Thai Whale Sharks received official permission from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to begin a whale shark tagging project. This step marked a huge milestone for marine research and conservation in Thailand. By tagging whale sharks with special tracking devices, researchers can finally answer some of the big questions: where do whale sharks go, how far do they travel, and what habitats do they depend on?
Right now, the project has a few tagging tools ready and is waiting for the right season to begin this exciting new phase of research. Since Thai Whale Sharks runs as a non-profit organization, Kirsty and her team rely on community support to keep it going.
As a non-profit organization, it relies entirely on fundraising to keep things moving forward. To support their work, the team has created Thai Whale Sharks T-shirts, keychains, and other small ways for people to contribute. Every shared story, photo, or donation helps continue the research and conservation efforts that protect these gentle giants of the sea.
It’s a great example of how diving and conservation go hand in hand. Every sighting and every photo adds a piece to the puzzle and helps us understand these gentle giants a little better. The more we know, the more we can do to protect them. We want the future generations of divers to experience the same heart-racing moment when a whale shark glides past us on a dive as we experience it today.
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