Fortunately, they are very docile and don't notice the tag because they have such thick skin. The most they will do is give you a glancing blow as they swim past. The tags will remain on the sharks for up to a year before being released by remote control. The information they have recorded will then be downloaded to a computer. We will also be looking at the sharks to see how they interact, and what the relationships are between individuals.
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, but they are also among the most mysterious.
They show up in the spring every year, but no one knows where they go in between. We know they are rare and vulnerable, but we don't have a clue exactly how many of them there are. And we guess they live to be at least 60, because they only mature at 30, but we don't know for sure. This will finally let us find the facts about something that has been a part of myth and legend for so long and develop the conservation strategies to make sure it stays with us.