Whale shark tourism today is one of the most important forms of marine ecotourism, bringing with it a variety of challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate various factors of anthropogenic influence on whale shark behaviour in the South Ari Marine Protected Area in the Maldives, by analysing encounter data provided by the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme. The data did not reveal any direct long-term changes of behaviour over time of stay in the MPA, nor did it imply a connection of shark injury to behavioural changes, which in part may have been due to the complexity of behaviour analysis and the limitations of the available data. However, additional evidence of anthropogenic influence on behavioural changes was still found, agreeing with the results of previous research. This shows the importance of behavioural studies, as well as the necessity of establishing codes of conduct and management plans in areas used for whale shark tourism.
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