STORY

Two Brothers, One Mission: Protecting Whale Sharks in Pintuyan, Southern Leyte

Ery and Raul Cordova, brothers who grew up along the coast of Pintuyan, Southern Leyte, have spent over a decade working with and protecting the whale sharks that frequent their local waters. Having spent their entire lives by the ocean—near one of the largest whale shark aggregation sites in the Philippines—the brothers grew up alongside the world's largest shark. They found their passion for conservation, inspired by the awe-inspiring presence of these gentle giants.

PRESS RELEASE

A decade of LAMAVE research shapes IUCN Important Shark and Ray Areas in the Philippines

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Ten years of research by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) has supported the delineation of six of the eleven “Important Shark and Ray Areas” (ISRA) identified in the Philippines as part of global efforts to map out critical habitats for sharks, rays, and chimaeras around the world.

PRESS RELEASE

Next phase of Global FinPrint seeks to improve protection of reef sharks worldwide

SARASOTA – Dec. 6, 2023 – With reef shark populations in crisis, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and partners from across the globe are updating the seminal shark survey, Global FinPrint, and applying their findings to the design of new marine protected areas (MPAs).

PRESS RELEASE

Collaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.

Press Release

LAMAVE and the National Geographic Society embarks on a Deep-Sea Expedition to the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in May 2022

This expedition aims to understand one of the most mysterious ecosystems in the planet — marine areas with depths greater than 200 meters. The team will deploy the first deep-sea camera system in the region!

Press Release

New study finds that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species

Philippines. 22 March 2021, A new study by researchers from the University of Victoria (CA) and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines has found that working in wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species. Community-based whale shark tourism workers had more protectionist views, recognising the inherent value of wildlife, and were more likely to report positive changes in their attitudes and behaviours to protect whale sharks.

Press Release

Long term study reveals no improvement in the impact of the whale shark tourism in Oslob, Philippines over 6 years

A new study by researchers from the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and published in the journal Royal Society Open Science show the continuous impacts of provisioning (hand feeding) on the behavior of whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines and how the tourism industry is failing to comply with regulations to protect this endangered species.

Press Release

Baby whale shark discovery indicates Donsol and the Ticao-Burias Pass are important reproductive habitats for the endangered whale shark

Philippines, November 2020, A new scientific publication from LAMAVE and BFAR Region 5 reports the importance of Donsol and the Ticao-Burias Pass as a likely pupping ground and nursery area for the endangered whale shark.

Press Release

First-of-its-kind Global Survey Reveals Sharks are depleted in the Philippines

Overall results indicate sharks are functionally extinct on many of the world’s reefs but hope remains if key conservation measures are employed.

Philippines, July 22, 2020 – A new landmark study published today in Nature by Global FinPrint reveals sharks are virtually absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are too rare to fulfil their normal role in the ecosystem, otherwise referred to as “functionally extinct.”

NEWS

Collaborative efforts highlight the long-distance movements of whale sharks in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

The whale shark is a highly mobile species, broadly distributed, that can cross boundaries without anyone realising. A recent study in the Philippines highlighted the movement of whale sharks between one site in Palawan, and Malaysia and Indonesia. These results also highlighted the utility of the general public in collecting data for research programmes.

NEWS

Whale sharks: what science reveals

We round up eight years of LAMAVE’s research on the iconic whale shark. The whale shark – also called butanding, tuki, tiki tiki, tawiki in local dialects - is a national icon of the Philippines. As we reach the end of 2019 and almost 8 years since LAMAVE first started studying whale sharks in the Philippines, we round up what we have learnt about these incredible sharks…

PRESS RELEASE

Whale sharks on the move in Southeast Asia highlight the need for further collaboration in the conservation of the species

Whale sharks tracked moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines have tracked whale sharks moving between the Philippines and Malaysia, and Indonesia, using satellite tags, photo-identification and citizen science…

NEWS

Ecology: Sharks under threat from fisheries

A new study published in Nature, International Journal of Science revealed that around one quarter of the habitats of oceanic sharks fall within active fishing zones, which may threaten these iconic ocean predators. The study spearheaded by David Sims and colleagues, brought together 1500+ satellite tracks globally from 150 scientists, including LAMAVE, and demonstrates an urgent need for conservation efforts to protect pelagic sharks, which reported to be in decline.

PRESS RELEASE

Philippines officially hosts world’s second largest known population of whale sharks

Philippines, March 3, 2019, The Philippines officially hosts the second-largest known population of whale sharks in the world according to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a global online population catalogue used by scientists and the public. The Philippine population total, which now stands at >1,600 individual whale sharks…

PRESS RELEASE

Donsol attracts the Philippines largest whale sharks

A new scientific study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and Large Marine Vertebrate Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) has revealed that whale sharks in Donsol, Philippines are uncharacteristically larger than those found elsewhere in the Philippines…

PRESS RELEASE

Scientific study takes a deeper look into the reproduction of mobulid rays in the Philippines

A new scientific publication by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) was lead by researcher Joshua Rambahiniarison and aimed to determine life history and reproductive parameters for several mobulids caught in the Philippines to provide vital information on the sustainability of the exploitation and consumptive use of these megafauna, at the country level and worldwide.

Press Release

Satellite tag study reveals Philippine waters are incredibly important for endangered whale sharks

A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) and Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) on satellite tracking juvenile whale sharks in the Philippines has been published in the journal Peer J. To date, it is the most complete tracking study of whale sharks in the country, with satellite tags deployed on different individuals in multiple sites.

Press Release

Scientists in the Philippines tag the biggest tiger shark so far

Puerto Princesa, Philippines, June 12, 2018 – Scientists from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) and Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) have successfully tagged a 3.5-meter tiger shark and three grey reef sharks as part of a long-term study in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

Press Release

Scientists film the first ever live encounter of the rare and Endangered Ornate Eagle Ray in the Philippines

An encounter with the rare and Endangered Ornate Eagle Ray by researchers from LAMAVE and WWF on an expedition to Cagayancillio, has been reported as the first-ever live encounter with the species in Philippine waters, expanding its current known range.

Press Release, NEWSSally SnowJanuary 5, 2018Ornate Eagle Ray, LAMAVE, the Philippines, endangered, WWF, Rays, Ray, sharkComment

NEWS

New study reveals the global biology of whale sharks

A new study explores how citizen science has contributed to our understanding of the basic biology and ecology of the whale shark on a global scale. The study led by Dr Brad Norman was a collaborative effort of 38 scientists, including LAMAVE Executive Directors Dr Alessandro Ponzo and Gonzalo Araujo, as well as David David and Elson Aca from WWF-Philippines.

LAMAVE Newsroom

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