SPOT tagged in a whale shark — Galápagos

Open Tracking Data from the Galápagos

Whale shark biologging & Earth Observation

Galapagos Whale Shark Project ®

Galápagos Whale Shark Project

Tagged individuals in the Galápagos Marine Reserve

The Galápagos Whale Shark Project has deployed SPOT satellite tags on whale shark individuals within the UNESCO World Heritage Galápagos Marine Reserve. These tags transmit GPS positions via satellite, building a detailed picture of movement through one of the world's most biodiverse ocean ecosystems.

Using Wildlife Tracker GEO, we have made the tracking data for one tagged individual fully open-source and available for researchers, educators, and conservationists.

View on GitHub

Sofia Green tagging a whale shark in the Galápagos Marine Reserve — Galapagos Whale Shark Project ®

Wildlife Tracker GEO — Capability

Seasonal movement in a changing ocean

One of the core capabilities of Wildlife Tracker GEO is the ability to overlay animal tracking trajectories on seasonal Earth Observation layers such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Phytoplankton (chlorophyll) concentration sourced from Copernicus Marine Service. Together, they reveal how marine species respond to dynamic ocean conditions across the year.

March

Warm season

Sea Surface Temperature

SST — March 2022

Phytoplankton Concentration

Chlorophyll — March 2022

November

Cool season

Sea Surface Temperature

SST — November 2022

Phytoplankton Concentration

Chlorophyll — November 2022

Wildlife Tracker GEO

Biologging + Earth Observation

Wildlife Tracker GEO integrates satellite tracking data with Copernicus Marine Service environmental layers, enabling researchers to correlate animal movement with oceanographic conditions
in any season, for any tagged species, anywhere in the global ocean.