Citizen Scientist Diver

If you are lucky enough to encounter a reef shark, whale shark or manta ray while diving in Thailand why not add your sighting to the data already collected by other citizen scientist divers and help the scientific community to learn more about these amazing creatures and aid with conservation efforts.

It costs you nothing to contribute your sighting and submit a photo.

Wildbook is a global visual identification database for whale shark sightings which uses pattern recognition software to record encounters with individual whalesharks: http://www.whaleshark.org/

Manta Matcha is an offshoot of the Wildbook for whalesharks database that is developing a global database of shared data for manta ray encounters. Manta rays are migratory and this database will help to itentify their movement patterns. Manta ray markings on their underside are as individually distinctive as fingerprints are in humans. http://www.mantamatcher.org/

The Thailand eShark Project by Shark Guardian is a Thailand only shark sightings data base that aims to raise awareness about the declining numbers of sharks in Thai waters and work towards creating shark sanctuaries to protect sharks. Anyone can contribute after each dive you make, even if you don’t see any sharks. Zero sightings are important too as they help to record the frequency of sightings. http://www.sharkguardian.org/thailand-eshark-project/