Drones show little sign of disturbing whale sharks in Australian study
Drones flown over whale sharks are unlikely to disturb them, a new Australian-led study has found.
Researchers tested drone flights above whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, using motion-sensing tags attached to 13 animals. The tags recorded swimming effort, tail movement and diving behaviour, which can indicate stress, agitation or an attempt to escape.
The drone was flown directly above the tagged sharks at heights ranging from 10 to 60 metres, including during ascent and descent. The team compared those records with periods when no drone was flying overhead.
The study found no evidence that overhead drone flights at those heights disrupted the sharks’ natural behaviour. It is the first assessment of drone effects on a water-breathing marine species using biotelemetry data rather than visual observation alone.
The findings support the use of drones as a minimally invasive tool for whale shark research, including surveys, behavioural monitoring and body measurement. Researchers cautioned that unmeasured physiological effects remain possible, that responses could differ during feeding, and that other species in the same ecosystem may react differently; under Western Australian rules, recreational and commercial drones must not disturb wildlife and must stay 60 metres from whale sharks and marine mammals unless operating under permit.