MWSRP team update from Hanifaru
24th September 2009
The sharks are yet to be I.D.'d but the team's initial thoughts are that one individual is new to the database. The other encounters have been with known sharks, who the MWSRP team encountered in April - June at South Ari's whale shark 'Hotspot'. This is known because all of the sharks have very distinctive scars, and one individual (WS051 'Paul') is a previously tagged shark.
WS014 'Prop Scarred' - (imaginatively named) displays a series of lacerations from his head to the 1st dorsal fin making him fairly easy to recognize.
Other distinctive scars or markings have included the last third of pectoral fins missing, and kinks in the shape of the caudal fin.
Another 4 days on the water remain and the team is hopefull of more encounters and further tag deployment or retrieval.