This fantastic project is dedicated to the ongoing marine conservation and research of whale sharks. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has declared the whale shark a vulnerable species. They are incredibly important to understanding the general health of our oceans as they often gather in areas with abundant plankton food. Therefore, if the whale shark became endangered, scientists would lose an incredible and beautiful link to the condition of the ocean. Through this program, interns contribute to the global spot-pattern identification project, which hopes to map the migration of whale sharks. Through this identification, data can be added to a worldwide database which then can be utilised to assess the health of the species. Recently, the project hosted a team of researchers from the King Abdul University (KAUST) and the University of Queensland who were looking at oceanographic factors influencing the occurrence and distribution of whale sharks in the waters. Furthermore, much of their research includes aspects related to the tourism that surrounds whale sharks, such as the behaviour of these magnificent sharks in encounters with tourists and fishers. In addition to this, the project also works closely with communities in spreading awareness of conservation through development projects in local schools.